Mal's Evils, Struggles, and Happiness
by VanillaAshes
Summary: Mal's Past Evils, Present Struggles, and Future Happiness. Does the past affect the future? How does bringing over more VKs merge the past and present? Has Mal been entirely honest? MalxHarry, MalxBen, Mal and Hades. Beta: 2DaughtersofAthena.
1. Mal, Age Four

**Mal's Past Evils, Present Struggles, and Future Happiness.**

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**Bio: This story starts pre-descendants and goes through Mal's life until she is invited to Auradon Prep. How does her life start to change when more children start coming through and she has to deal with her past? What happened in her past that nobody knows about? Did her Dad fully abandon her? Were her and Harry just friends and then enemies? Is Mal even a nice person? MalxBen, MalxHarry. Hades and Mal.**

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**A/N: Hello! Welcome to my first Descendants story! This was originally two stories, one regarding Hades and Mal, and the other Harry and Mal. Both of them started with Mal's life in the Isle and they have been combined. Spoils for all three Descendants movies and references to things that occur in the books.**

**There is no definitive ending, and no definitive end pairing.**

**I'd love a review and always feel free to give me suggestions.**

**The first few chapters will be set at a specific age of Mal, so some chapters aren't particularly long to begin with, but once we get through that, they'll lengthen up!**

**There will be dark themes, including implied neglect, abuse, and bullying. Nothing too detailed. Rated T at the moment, by may move up to rating M.**

**At the moment, most of the story will be in Mal's POV.**

**Amazing beta: 2DaughtersofAthena!**

**Thank you.**

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**Mal - Age 4**

"Stop being so weak!" her mother exclaimed, suddenly at the upset four-year-old. She grabbed the girls arm and threw her out of the house. "Perhaps I've been too kind; see how you can survive on your own!"

"Mamma!" The girl whimpered in distress and tried to run back into the house.

"No! You're four now, Mal. See you in the morning."

Mal stared at the closed door in shock. Her mother had always threatened to kick her out if she continued to complain, but for the _whole night!_ That was something she had never expected. A couple of weeks ago she was kicked out for an hour but remained where she was. Mal had a sinking suspicion that she'd soon be chased out of the comforts of the doorway and slowly walked away. Her mum was wrong, she wasn't weak.

She wiped her eyes, the last thing she wanted was for anybody to know she had been crying, especially as she was out alone - usually, her mother was nearby. Everybody was scared of her mother - even Mal sometimes.

Something caught her eye, somebody she knew! "Jay!"

The older child stopped and looked at her. "Mal. Go back inside, this isn't the place for you."

"I can't!"

Jay looked around before grabbing her hand and pulling her into an alleyway. "Why?"

"Mamma kicked me out."

He sighed. Jay had been out on his own countless times, he was a great pickpocketer and was less suspicious when his dad wasn't hanging around. "You cried again?"

Mal looked down disappointed in herself, maybe she was weak.

"How long are you out for?"

"Until tomorrow."

Jay didn't bother to hide his surprise but recovered quickly; "Fine, I'll take you to the docks, lots of kids hang out there so it should be safer. Also, you might make some friends."

Mal smiled but didn't thank him - that wasn't allowed on the Isle. She remembered her Mamma almost killing a man for saying it before.

Mal had tried to memorise the route Jay took, but it was impossible, so many twists and turns, and they walked for longer than she had imagined. This would be her first time going to the docks as her mother didn't like the smell.

"Don't annoy anyone," Jay said shortly before disappearing.

Mal nodded to herself before looking out at the docks and wrinkling her nose - it wasn't a pleasant smell. She walked a few steps and sat down, leaning against a post. Staying here all night wouldn't be so bad.

After at least an hour, she realised she had just been watching the children play, some were her age, but a lot of them older. "I am not weak," she whispered to herself before pushing herself up and walking over to one on his own, throwing rocks into the water. "What are you doing?" she asked - she had hoped her voice would have been more forceful but kept a focused look.

He looked at her with an unfocused glance. "Trying to break the barrier, then we just hop onto my Dad's ship and get off this hell-hole."

Mal nodded and picked up a rock, throwing it out to the water. "That's pointless. Only magic can take down the barrier."

"Do you have any better ideas?" he snapped.

As he was the same height as her, she was unaffected with his angry and smirked - she actually appreciated his temper. "Anything's better than wasting your time."

He turned to her challengingly, "such as?"

Mal knew this was her chance to be strong, to be evil, just like her mother wanted. "Push people off the plank."

The boy grinned, making her smile lightly, "now _that_ is a great idea!" He turned and ran off, Mal quickly decided to follow him.

"Harry, get lost!" an older man said.

Harry ignored him, running past him onto the ship. Mal almost hesitated at the man glaring at them but decided she'd rather stay with the boy.

"Right… who wants to jump?" Harry asked, getting no response.

Mal crossed her arms. "You really think they'd just do it? You gotta trick them!"

Harry looked impatient at that thought but looked around. "Can you climb?"

"Better than you!" she replied confidently - though she instantly regretted that lie as he challenged her to climb to the top of the crow's nest. "After you."

Harry didn't need any more encouragement as he set off to start climbing it. He went slower than she expected but Mal could tell he was thinking about every step.

Mal moved over to it and started following him up, at least this way she was doing it without his criticism. One thing Mal never had a problem with was heights - though the water leering nearby was off-putting.

"Harry!" A squeaky voice from below yelled.

Mal looked down, noticing that she was already a few feet from the ground. When she glanced back up, she noticed Harry climbing down and did the same. Harry got down seconds after her even though she was closer to the ground.

"Who's this?"

Mal crossed her arms, she was right here and the green-haired girl could have just asked. "What? Jealous that Harry made a new friend?" Internally, she hoped that Harry wouldn't correct her about being friends.

"This is Uma," Harry introduced casually. "Her mum owns that food place."

Mal looked over at it, having not noticed it before, and decided to play nice - at least for now. Harry and Uma seemed to be friends and she didn't want to potentially lose the only one she made without the fear of her mother leering over her. "I'm Mal."

"I'm Uma, daughter of Ursula. This is Harry, son of Hook," she said challengingly.

Mal smirked, she could easily beat both of them. "I'm Mal, daughter of Maleficent," she spoke darkly this time. She loved the surprised expression on Uma's face - Harry, however, didn't seem to care. He probably wanted to climb the crow's nest again.

"Is she here?"

"Scared?" Mal teased. "She's not here, I don't need an adult with me."

Uma looked instantly relieved and didn't comment on the 'scared' comment. "You can hang out, I guess."

Mal hid her excitement at that - she was making it without her mother! She was also excited that Uma seemed terrified of her mother, that could work in her favour. Then against most people were scared of her mother: she was in charge.

Mal spent most of the night playing with Uma or Harry until both of them had gone back home, she wasn't sure how close it was to the morning but decided to try and find her way back to her home - surely her mother would be proud with this long. Or perhaps she could sneak in and go to bed, she was exhausted after all.

She went back the same way Jay had gone previously, hoping it wouldn't be too difficult to get home, but she couldn't recognise anything!

The cackle of somebody made Mal jump and she started running, down different alleyways until she came to a larger area. It was still nothing she recognised and now she didn't know the way back to the docks.

Mal squared her shoulders, took a deep breath and continued to walk - the Isle wasn't that big… right?

"Ah… if it isn't little Maleficent," a croaky voice as a large man stepped in front of her.

Mal quickly stopped and turned around, just for an even larger man to be in the way. It was easy to be large in comparison to Mal's small frame.

"Lost are we?"

"Where's Mummy?"

"Leave me alone!"

"Or what?" one of them challenged.

Mal opened her mouth but hesitated. Before she had the chance to recover, a hand grabbed her and her feet were no longer touching the ground.

"Do you know what your mother did to us?" one questioned.

"Leave me alone or she'll do worse! You don't want to cross me!"

"We'll take our chances!"

Suddenly, Mal was thrown against the wall. All of the breath in her lungs left her and she felt pain in multiple places. This was the most pain she had ever been in, her mother may have shouted at her, ignored her, and even neglected her, but she'd never physically hurt her like this. Mal couldn't even think straight.

A scream left her lips as she was pulled up again. This time she was dropped to the ground and instantly retreated towards the wall in hopes for safety.

Confusion filled the four-year-old as the menacing men were running down the street away from her. Things became more clear when Hades held out his hand to her.

Mal accepted it and was pulled to a standing position. She didn't object when he began walking, pulling her with him.

Mal knew that he was her father, though, she'd never spent any time with him. He was weak, soft, and not worth any of her time - that's what her mother told her, anyway. He had left Mal because Mal wasn't strong enough. Mal always wished that her mother wouldn't leave her too. But here he was, her Dad had found her, he had _saved_ her. That didn't get rid of the pain in her shoulder, hip or ankle, but it was enough for now.

Mal didn't dare to speak: What would she even say? Her mother had forbidden her from telling anybody that Hades was her father. If anybody overheard - or even saw them together - her mother would find out and punish her. She didn't want to disappoint her mother any more than she already had in life.

After at least twenty minutes, Hades stopped. It was a place that Mal recognised - she knew how to get home from here. Hades knelt down and wiped her cheeks. "Stop crying, your mother wouldn't like it."

Mal quickly nodded and rubbed her eyes forcefully - she hadn't even realised she had been crying! How could she be so weak!

"Just down the road and to the left," he spoke again, still kneeling.

Mal looked down the street and nodded again - he knew where she lived. "Why did you help me?"

"You're my daughter," he answered simply. "Now go."

She hesitated. She wouldn't admit it but she was terrified that somebody would try to hurt her again, though, a big part of her knew that her father would make sure that didn't happen. Mal felt his hand gently pushing her in the correct direction. After a longing glance at him, she followed his orders and walked the route, forcing herself to not turn around.

Within minutes she was at her front door and pushed against it - locked. It wasn't sunrise yet, but she didn't care. With all of her might, she banged on the door with her good arm. Unfortunately, there was still no answer. Mal sighed and sat outside the door, it couldn't be too long until morning.

As she felt her eyes drifting to a close, she saw her father watching her and couldn't help but smile. She sent him a silent wave before letting herself succumb to sleep.


	2. Mal, Age Six (Part One)

**A/N. Welcome back to Chapter Two!**

**Thank you for the response to the first chapter! It means the world to me!**

**Without further ado:**

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**Mal, Aged Six (Part 1)**

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Six-year-old Mal huffed as she slipped, almost falling off the roof as she chased after Jay. She wasn't about to let a little miss-footing slow her down; she _could_ keep up with him! Jay was taller than her and much more skilled at climbing, but that had never and would never deter her. Grabbing hold of the ledge, she jumped down before running after him. A groan left her lips when he climbed back up. "Not fair! You have longer legs!"

"Not my fault you're a shortcake!" he retorted unremorsefully. "Keep up."

Mal let out a scoff at his annoying nickname but followed him nevertheless. Her nose turned upwards at the smell of the ocean. She never liked the smell of the water, which was ironic as she lived on the Isle, an island, and constantly visited the docks.

Her attention was caught by an annoyingly sweet laugh and she turned in that direction. Disgust instantly took over her features as she saw Captain Hook performing for Evie. That girl was nothing but trouble. Who did she think she was? Acting so high and mighty - somebody definitely needed to drag her off her high-horse. One day, Mal was certain she would be the one to do it.

But right now, she was on a mission to keep up with Jay - there was a first time for everything. Stepping up the final stretch, she looked around and groaned. She'd lost him, _again_. This time, however, it was Evie's fault.

Her eyes narrowed as she slowly turned her glare towards the blue-haired girl. The sound of Evie's giggle made her feel more murderous than anything else life had already thrown at her. Nobody ought to be that happy in the Isle. She moved towards the edge of the building and sat down to watch them.

"What'cha doing?"

She turned around sharply, instantly scowling at Harry Hook, sitting atop the roof, a metre away. "Plotting."

"Against?"

"Your idiot father and that pretty princess wannabe."

Harry stepped up further and joined her on the edge of the ledge with her. "You really don't like her."

Mal scoffed. "Who could possibly like that little princess." She really wanted to do something to ensure she stopped walking around as if she owned the place.

"My father, for starters."

She pushed him, not caring that if he fell he'd probably get really injured. "I might chop off all her hair."

Harry's laugh, the manic, vibrating sound, was satisfying; Mal really enjoyed hearing it. "I like the way you think."

Mal let her lips turn up slightly before she picked up a slat that wasn't connected to the roof and threw it towards the ship. A disgruntled groan left her lips when it hit Gil - who was standing barely half the distance she wanted it to go.

Harry let out a mighty laugh beside her. "That the best you got?"

"Like you could do any better," Mal scoffed. Sometimes she wished she could hate Harry. But she respected his mean streak - he'd go far on the Isle - and couldn't help but want to hang out with him more.

With a smirk, Harry grabbed a rock and threw it in the same direction. He grinned triumphantly when it went further.

Mal straightened her shoulders. "It didn't reach the target. You lose."

"Still better than you." He picked up another rock and threw that in the same direction, it didn't quite reach as far as his first attempt, but Mal didn't comment this time. All she could think about was how she had to practice her throwing skills as well as climbing skills. "Are you going to Evie's party? Or going to skip it?"

"What?"

"I might skip it."

Mal looked at him, trying to hide her confusion over his question. "She invited you?"

Harry finally turned his attention to her and raised his eyebrows. "She didn't invite you? She invited everybody."

Mal had to look away from him, forcing herself to only let in the fury and nothing else. Maleficent's daughter did not cry. "When's the party?"

"At six. It's her birthday today."

She huffed out a scoff and stood up. "It won't be a happy occasion." With that, she quickly climbed down and ran back home. If anybody knew how to ruin a party, it was her mother.

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Mal paused outside of her home and took a deep breath. Her mother hated weakness and she would not go in there hurt that she hadn't been invited, but she would be angry! It was time for revenge. Barging through the doors, she wasted no time marching up to her mother and interrupted her conversation with Jafar. "Mother!"

Her mother dismissed her with a brief wave of her hand, not even sparing a glance in Mal's direction. Maleficent merely continued on with her conversation with Jafar. Being disregarded completely was somehow worse than being dismissed.

"No, Mother! You will listen to me!" Mal almost shouted. She didn't falter when her mother's withering expression finally met her eyes. "The Evil Queen is throwing a party for her fake princess of a daughter and didn't invite me." She paused, waiting to see if her mother would interrupt. She didn't. "Everybody else was invited. I want to destroy her."

"Mal, this is childish," Maleficent intoned, sounding completely bored and turning back to Jafar.

Mal was starting to hate her mother more than Evie, and that was not allowed. Evie was the worst. "Fine. I suppose being the _only_ child not invited is fine… just like how Prince Phillip decided that you weren't worthy enough for that christening," she attempted to goad. She'd never tried to manipulate her mother for fear of punishment, but she wasn't as scary as she pretended to be. After all, not only was she only six, but she was also small for her age. Without her mother, she knew she was nothing - at the moment, anyway.

"_Worthy enough_. Mal - you - ah." Maleficent froze in her words, clearing struggling to overcome the biting anger. "This is completely different. This is - _shush Jafar_!" She threw a hand in the bearded man's face as he attempted to bring the subject back to him. "Shh! This is nothing like that godawful Christening. Do you even want to go?"

Mal scoffed. "Who wants to go with a fake princess's stupid party?" She shook her head in disgust at the thought. It was time to get serious. "It will be such a shame for everybody to know that the amazing Maleficent's daughter was wronged and was not avenged. I guess anybody can do anything without repercussions these days," she said, stepping away from her mother as innocently as she could, a smirk on her face.

"If you mean wicked, that might be me…" her mother mused, probing for further compliments. "Or mean, or staggeringly evil..?"

"Maybe you've simply lost your touch," Mal spoke. "That's what I've heard from… lesser villains."

Maleficent was quiet for a matter of seconds, watching her daughter exceptionally carefully. Green flashed in her irises, an instant reminder of her power. As she lowered a hand from Jafar's retreating face, she murmured, "How dare you. I have not lost my touch!" Her fingers clenched into fists, glittering with magic. "We will see about these lesser villains; what they will think of me after this. We will see how much they fear Maleficent."

Mal knew she shouldn't push things, but she wanted her mother to unleash every ounce of power or destruction she could. "It's just a silly birthday party - a childish betrayal against your heir."

"A childish fool that imbecile Queen is indeed. Idiot that she should think she would get away with something like this!" Maleficent hollered, followed by high-pitched cackling. Jafar was long-gone. "She should know better. To betray my heir, nonetheless. Both of them will be destroyed. To no more than dust on our shoes, insects on the ground, flecks on a grimy window. They will be utterly insignificant," she finished darkly, smirking.

If she hadn't been in the company of her mother, she may have jumped with joy at the result. Instead, she acted indifferently and helped her mother with ideas - most of which were ignored for being too childish, but she didn't care. Her mother was helping her. This was reason enough to hate Evie.

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Mal was walking around aimlessly, hoping to get lost so she could find her father's lair. It was difficult looking when she had to do it herself - there was no way she could let anybody know what she was looking for.

She wasn't entirely sure what she would say to him if - no _when_ \- she found him. Perhaps thank you? No, that would just prove how weak she was. Maybe she'd ask him where he lives and if she could visit. Or she'd ask him tips of being evil - he'd like that.

"Mal," Uma called, running over to her. "Why'd you mum do that to Evie and the Evil Queen? Banishing them from the Isle… it's not like they can actually leave."

"They deserved it."

Uma paused. "It was you?"

"Nobody crosses me, Uma. Just remember that."

Uma nodded quickly, which made Mal smirk. It was nice to be feared. "How long will they be banished for?"

"They better hide for the rest of their pitiful lives," Mal replied. "Where is everybody?"

"At Gil's."

Mal rolled her eyes but changed direction with Uma by her side. "Why are they there? Are they too scared to be outside?"

Uma looked at her. "They're just being weak."

Mal nodded in agreement. Even though Mal much preferred the company of Harry, she was really close to Uma. It was difficult to pinpoint why but they were so in sync with each other and got on really well.

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**Thank you for reading!**

**Guest - Yes, I love Hades and have been looking for Hades and Mal stories, but they're so limited! Hence why I ended up writing my own! I had been tempted to write a full-on Hades and Mal but decided to expand it even more. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Mal, Age Six (Part Two) will be out mid-week!**


	3. Mal, Age Six (Part Two)

**A/N. **

**Thank you so much for the amazing response! **

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**Mal, Aged Six (Part 2)**

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Mal grunted at Gil, he was one of the only kids who could get away with being happy and not being ridiculed - he actually had parents who cared about him. Mal almost hated him for that. She was walking around with her 'crew' as she called them - her mother didn't like the term friends - when they all suddenly stopped. Mal knew what that meant without even looking up - an adult villain.

They all knew they'd have to face adults someday, but usually, they'd steer clear of them completely - after all, they were only six or seven-years-old.

"C'mon Mal, unless you're planning on facing him," Uma muttered.

Mal had learnt to talk bigger than she was, saying she could face anybody, even her own mother - she'd never been tested on it though. She was still a highly feared child and not just because her mother was Maleficent - though she was sure it helped. She looked up and smirked. "It's just Hades, no biggy," she said, though stepped to the side.

"No biggy? He's a God!" Gil piped up.

"Yeah, he's scarier than your mum," Uma replied. "He used to kill children our age."

Mal looked over at him, that was all true, she knew that he was one of the highest feared villains in the Isle, but her mother had always called him weak and soft. And he _had_ helped her all those years ago - should she take the chance? She had always wanted to take on an adult and gain some of the fear her mother held with adults - being the leader of other children wasn't as menacing - her mother reminded her that often.

"He's not even looking," Mal whispered and decided to just go for it. She focused on keeping her steps as quiet as possible while everybody was - adults including - were moving away from the feared God. Mal couldn't wimp out now, that would make her look weak. As she reached for his pocket - to retrieve his wallet - she took a deep breath, that was a huge mistake.

Hades swung around, his long coat hitting her arm before his large hand grabbed her tightly. Instantly the hold loosened as he looked at her but not enough for her to get out of the grip.

Mal heard a chorus of gasps and shuffles away - Hades heard it too.

He bent down, deadly close, and whispered, "What are you doing Mali?"

"Stealing your wallet."

"Why?"

Mal hesitated, "to show my friends - I mean crew - that I'm strong."

Hades released her. "Bad idea. Get out of here."

Mal relaxed for a split second and took a micro-step back - he wasn't going to hurt her which meant she might just get away with trying again. Her left hand darted forward and grabbed something from his pocket - she wasn't sure what - and nearly started to turn but Hades had grabbed her again. This time though, she felt his arm around her waist and something was covering her eyes. She heard shouts of her name but it was to no avail.

Mal had tried to wriggle out of his hold but it was too strong - she was literally no match for him. Yet, he wasn't hurting her - at least she was safe, relatively speaking. She had taken the gamble that he wouldn't hurt and so far had been right - but she had no idea where he was taking her or why. Would he wait until they were alone before hurting her? Would he take her soul? Or worse, would he take her to her mother? Her mother would be enraged to find out she'd gone near her father, she had made it clear on numerous occasions that she must steer clear from him at all costs. Even thinking about him was dangerous territory - she still remembered the punishment from before.

After at least fifteen minutes of attempting to escape, he had stopped walking. He grabbed the object out of her hand - which she realised was a key - and unlocked something, before continuing to walk. Finally, he stopped and put her down.

Mal wasted no time to pull the material off her eyes and glare at him, though, now that they weren't moving, the sound of dogs barking had her spooked. She turned in the direction of the noise and noticed they were in a cave. She'd never been in a cave before, multiple paths which could lead anywhere. Mal decided that she preferred to see the sky. Another set of barks made her jump.

"Poor Mali, are you scared?"

"No!"

Hades took a few steps down one of the caves, "let's go visit my little pet then."

"How big is it?"

Hades laughed, it seemed like a cruel laugh to her but stepped back and sat down on a larger rock. "What you did was stupid."

Mal glared at him. "No, it was brave!"

"If you weren't my daughter, I would have thrown you into the nearest wall - had you moved…" he drifted off. "Nobody steals from me, I used to be a _God_, not a low-level villain!"

Mal jumped back at his sudden anger.

"Nobody gets away from stealing from. You should have gone when I told you to," Hades warned.

"Are you gonna feed me to your dogs?"

Hades looked at her, and for a moment, she thought he was going to laugh again. "No."

Mal looked away from him, trying to see what was at the end of any of the caves, she couldn't decide what to do or say. She _had_ been looking for him for years since he had helped her. Was it appropriate for her to just start asking questions? Throwing caution to the wind again, she went against the voice in her head telling her it was a bad idea, she decided to just go for it. "You helped me before, when I was attacked, why?"

"You're my daughter," was his simple answer.

"That doesn't explain it, Dad, it's not like you're around… or even want others to know we're related." Mal took a few steps up, it was definitely a bad idea trying to find him before. "You don't even deserve to call me your daughter! You don't even exist!" She shouted at him. She turned on the spot and marched down a random cave.

"Mali, not that way!"

Mal took a few more steps out of stubbornness before stopping. She took a breath and turned around to face him, noticing that he had stood up and followed her. "Why do you keep calling me Mali? Is that my name?"

Hades looked at her confused. "You know your name," he told her.

"So, 'Mal' is my name."

"Your mother is a psychopath," Hades commented with an irritated look. "She named you after herself. Your name is Maleficent."

Mal wrinkled her nose, "I'll stick to Mal. Don't tell anybody I'm named after my mother."

Hades chuckled, which died down too quickly. "It's time for you to go."

"Can I come back?"

"No."

Mal couldn't even hide her shock. She thought that they could have a great relationship, he was so much better than her mother and actually cared, she could easily tell that. Why didn't he want to see her again? Was she too weak? Was he? Did he not love her? Before she regained from her shock to question it, her eyes were covered again and she was back in his arms, though this time, there was something over her mouth to stop her from speaking. She still tried, attempted to scream and to wriggle herself out of his grip. This time, she didn't give up, she _would_ get out and she _would_ speak to him, tell him that he can't cast her to the side again, tell him that he _had_ to be her father.

With all her might, she moved side to side, kicked her legs, attempted to move her arms.

She was moving so much that she didn't realise when she had been put down and stumbled to the ground. By the time she had pulled the blindfold off, he was gone.

Mal instantly jumped up, ignoring the pain, and ran out of the alleyway looking for him. She bumped into Harry, sending them both to the ground. "Where is he? Where's-"

"Gone! You got away!" Harry said, holding her tightly, _safely_.

Mal stopped moving and looked around, he really was gone. She set her head down on Harry to regain herself. She felt safe in his arms and didn't want to retreat too quickly but eventually pushed herself up into a seated position, not caring she was in the middle of the street, and took a breath. She'd failed. Another reason to be a disappointment.

"That was so brave!" Harry grinned, a crazy glint in his eye, he loved it when she did something that drastic.

"What can I say," she commented with as much confidence as she could. She knew that Harry would big up what had occurred.

Suddenly, he sobered up. "You're hurt."

Mal looked down at her grazed and bleeding leg. "My leggings are ripped. Mum's going to kill me!"

"Does it hurt?"

Mal poked the wound and grimaced. It actually hurt a lot. It was her own fault though, had she not been thrashing about, she wouldn't have fallen over. "No."

Harry laughed and stood up, holding out his hand to her before pulling her up. "Let's go back to my Dad's ship and we'll sort it out. That's where Uma went."

"Wait… Uma just left?"

"You were taken by Hades, didn't think we'd see you again."

"She left me. She'll pay for that," Mal promised under her breath, though it was clear that Harry could hear her, he chose not to comment.

Mal started to feel the pain even more with each step she took and started to limp. Harry's arm came around her waist to support her and she didn't complain, she just hoped she wasn't showing weakness.

"Did little Mal get hurt?" an older boy teased, laughing with one of his friends as they passed.

Mal remembered him, he constantly made fun of her. Without hesitation, she struck, kicking his leg and then pushing him back. The fourteen-year-old tumbled over a stand onto the ground. Mal then launched herself at the other boy, sending them both to the ground, and hitting him repeatedly before jumping off, grabbing Harry's hand, and racing out of there.

She didn't see, but neither of the boys got up quickly; they had truly been bested by the seven-year-old.

Mal released Harry's hand as they got to the docks and saw Uma standing on a podium giving orders - that was not her job, she was not in charge. Mal forced herself through the crowd and pushed Uma off the podium violently. "What do you think you're doing!"

"You're back," Uma said, shocked.

"You really think you could get rid of me? Daring me to go after the biggest villain here, Hades. That doesn't scare me! I went after him and here I am! You are weak, Uma, and you will never lead the Isle! Not while I am around!"

Uma's look was deadly, but she didn't know what Mal was capable of. Mal was pissed at her father and had already taken it out on a few people. Now she was feared, it was clear to see it in other people's faces. Perhaps she'll hold onto her anger.

"Get outta here! All of you!" She roared and rejoiced in everybody running off, including Uma.

Harry, having been the only one to stay, stepped forward. "Let's deal with that leg now."

Mal wondered how he was so completely unfazed by her actions and knew it would have to do with what was occurring at home. He was getting more and more insane as the months went on - staying on this Isle seemed to affect everybody in that way, especially the adults. Mal followed him onto the ship and sat down, letting him clean up the blood - which had definitely stained her leggings badly - and wrapped it up with a piece of material.

"There, all better now."

Mal smiled at him. "I can always count on you, Harry."

He laughed maniacally at that, which Mal joined in on. They both knew that counting on anybody in this place was a mistake - that didn't change the words though. Mal hoped that she could always count on him. "Tell me, what was Hades like?"

"He was… mad…" she said lamely, knowing she had to say something more than that. She knew how impressed Harry was with her actions. "He grabbed me and tried taking me somewhere, but I wriggled out - he underestimated me! We shouted at each other as I tried to get away, but before I did, he struck me, sent me flying off a building onto the ground. He tried to catch me but I was too quick, too sneaky."

"You're such a badass!"

"Don't you forget it!"

* * *

**Thank you!**

**Mara - Ah, yes true. Thank you so much! I never thought about her temperament coming from her Dad... that's a very interesting concept! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	4. Mal, Age Eight

**Welcome back to another chapter!**

**Huge shout out to my amazing beta: 2DaughtersofAthena!**

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**Mal, Aged Eight**

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Mal opened her eyes slowly. She couldn't believe it was time to get up already. She couldn't stay in bed too long. While nobody cared if she was late for school, she couldn't miss too much of it - after all, how else would she learn to be as evil as her mother?

She sat up and looked around her dark room, the graffiti on her walls making her smile. She was getting better at it and would add to it often. Soon, all of her walls would be covered.

Mal slipped out of bed and quickly changed into her normal clothes, simply grabbing what was on top. She wasn't one who cared about her looks. Within minutes she was out of the door, not even bothering for food this close to waking up and headed for school.

"Mal," Harry called her name, she'd recognise his voice anywhere.

"Hi Harry," she replied not slowing down, he'd catch up.

Instead of coming and walking next to her, he slid in front of her stopping her from continuing. "I wanna show you something."

"Later, we've got school."

Harry scoffed. "School'll be there tomorrow." He took her hand and pulled her in a different direction.

Usually, Mal didn't let anybody pull her around - unless it was her mother - but Harry was different, besides, she was interested to see what he wanted to show her. Also, he was already much taller than her and they were both eight-years-old. It wasn't long before she was walking with him instead of him dragging her, though they both continued to hold hands.

"Where are we going?" Mal asked - the Isle was rather small as far as she knew however he was taking her to an area she had never been before.

"You'll see, just be patient."

Mal could honestly say that she wasn't a patient person, she absolutely hated people making her wait and usually plotted against them in that time. Instead of thinking of cruel pranks against Harry, she thought about pouring coffee into Gil's hair to see if it'll still be blonde and cutting off Reign's hair to see if she still acted as mighty as she did now.

"Ready?" Harry asked letting go of her hand and beginning to climb down the edge of the mountain.

Mal's eyes bulged, she hadn't been paying attention of her surroundings as much as she should have been. That was a mistake and was why she was weak. She glanced over the edge of it, wondering how many feet it was. A breath left her as she glanced down at Harry who was already a third of the way down and took a step back. While she was actually very good at climbing, she did not want to climb over the ocean. What if she fell? She couldn't swim!

"C'mon, ya scaredy-cat!" he called to her, sending her a knowing smirk: he knew how to rile her up.

She rarely backed down from a challenge but did look away before following him. If he pranked her now though she would be throwing him off a cliff to his death, she didn't even care how much she liked him. "Better be worth it, Harry!"

He cackled but didn't respond with words, he just continued to climb.

By the time they had climbed across, over a boulder and down the mountain to the shore, Mal's hands and arms were hurting. She wasn't used to holding onto something so tightly for so long; it was exhausting both physically and mentally. Mal constantly told herself to get over a stupid fear of water but just couldn't. "So… Now what?"

Harry draped an arm around her shoulders, it was a new thing he had begun to do, and looked out. "Don't'cha just love the waves!"

"No, not really."

"Look closer."

Mal groaned. If he brought her here to look at waves, she was going to be pissed. He knew she wasn't overly fond of water, she wished he didn't know though, she hated people knowing her weaknesses just as much as she hated having weaknesses. "What am I looking at?"

"Just keep looking."

Mal huffed but looked out at the water. She saw how the waves were rather heavy about ten meters away from them and how it was still by their feet. She noticed that there was a string of rocks extending out to sea, only the edge of them being hit by the waves. What she didn't see was anything interesting. Sure, this was a secluded spot and it was nicer than the rest of the Isle - after all, it actually seemed cleaner, smelt nicer, and you could see the sun hitting the ocean mere meters ahead. "Planning on swimming in it? Or drowning? That'll make this trip worth it."

Another ecstatic laugh left his lips as he pulled her closer and pointed. "Look where the waves stop, right at the end of the rocks. Where do you think the barrier is?"

Mal was looking where he indicated but it was only the last sentence that made her realise what he meant. She pulled out of his hold and stepped forward. "We can touch the barrier? Have you tried?"

Harry shook his head, picked up a stone and threw it. The stone fell down as if it hit a wall - a little anticlimactic if she asked herself.

"Let's check it out. I wonder what it feels like!"

Mal pushed Harry to take the lead, once again their hands joined. Mal ended up squeezing his hand as she followed him, she was more intrigued in the barrier than the fact she had a higher chance of falling into the water - everything was worth a risk. Especially getting close to the barrier. Nobody had ever been this close and perhaps it allowed the opportunity to break free. If they could examine it and work out how to get through it or break it down. This was exciting. If they got out, they could take over Auradon!

They slowed as they got closer and Harry let go of her hand. Mal looked down to ensure she had her footing.

"Woah! It feels like a strong bubble!"

Mal's head shot up and stepped forward, examining it up close. It wasn't even visible. She pushed her hand forward, wanting to touch it like Harry, as she placed her hand against it, she felt it push back until suddenly it sent a bolt of energy through her, sending her flying backwards, straight into the water. Mal wasn't even sure what had happened.

She tried to call out, but her throat was burning. Her eyes were stinging as she opened to see. Everything around her felt like it was pushing her down, pushing her into nothingness, stopping her from breathing, from seeing, from even thinking. It felt like she was drowning, was _dying_, forever.

Mal didn't even feel Harry's arms around her.

All she felt was the sudden need to throw-up and choke when she finally could breathe. It took her a while to start to think clearly again, and an even longer while to calm down. As she did so, she became aware of Harry rubbing her back strongly and repeating: "It's okay, just breathe, it's okay, just breathe."

Mal coughed again, feeling like she was still drowning, even though she knew she was no longer in the water and leant back against Harry. "I hate that stupid king!" she sputtered out. "I'm gonna kill him one day!"

"I'll hand you the sword," Harry replied rubbing her arms up and down.

It was after another few minutes that Mal realised she was shivering and crying. How could she be so weak! She was not worthy to even bear a name; she was useless and a disappointment. Her mother was right - she didn't even deserve to be alive, let alone be related to the infamous Maleficent! She angrily wiped at her eyes, trying to remove every trace of her tears, even if that meant removing her own skin. She was stopped forcefully by Harry holding her arms down, she immediately began to fight him.

"Stop, stop!"

Mal let out a shuddering breath but listened to him and stopped. What was the point of fighting back when she was worth nothing?

The two of them stayed like that for several minutes. Harry holding her tightly, them both sitting on the beach, both silent.

Mal stared down at their feet, watching the tide creep closer and then drift away. It looked so innocent. If Mal had learnt anything during her life, it was not to trust anybody or anything. Yet, here she was, leaning against one of the people she trusted the most, and he had just saved her life. Mal opened her mouth, hesitating across the way. He had just seen her at her weakest. She closed her eyes, she hated being vulnerable. "Thank you," she whispered, hoping he wouldn't hear her.

She knew he had when he released her and moved her hair out of her face. Thankfully, he didn't comment.

Mal pulled away from him, moving herself to sit against the mountain, the furthest away from the water as she could and let out a sigh. "Why'd it react to us differently?"

Harry turned to face her, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I don't know."

"Does it go all the way down into the water?"

Harry shrugged. He knew nothing.

"Go check."

Harry raised an eyebrow but did as she asked and dove into the water.

Mal waited impatiently for five seconds before leaning closer to the water to try and see Harry. She bit her lip. What was taking him so long? He should have the answer by now. Or did it let him through? Mal edged forward and saw him swimming back up.

Harry rose out of the water gracefully and tossed his hair back. "Yep, the barrier goes all the way down to the ground.

Mal let out a huff and sat against the mountain again. "There must be some way to get through it without magic, right?"

"Yeah."

"We'll figure it out. We'll get out of here."

"And we'll rule the whole world together."

Mal grinned. "Exactly!"

Harry moved to sit down next to her again as they looked out at the ocean, at the distance between them and Auradon.

Mal took a glance at him before looking out. She reckoned that, if the barrier wasn't there, Harry could swim the distance. He was strong and brave like that, unlike Mal. The two of them spent most of the day there together, they ended up chatting about the Isle, school, Uma, Gil, and everybody else on the island. It was their home and there was still so much they didn't know about it. By the time they decided to head back to the docks, they were both dry and there was no trace of their time in the water.

Mal had opted to start climbing first, after all, she had something to prove now.

* * *

**Thank you very much for reading!**

**Thank you to and Mara for reviewing!**

**Mara - Yes, I can see your point. Ages can be a tricky thing to get right sometimes. Glad you're enjoying it! As you liked how sweet Harry was being, hopefully, you liked this chapter too!**


	5. Mal, Age Eleven

**Mal, Aged Eleven**

* * *

_You're weak! A stupid little girl playing dress-up! A disappointment! You're too soft, putting a value on disposable friendships, as if they'd last! _

_Grow up! Listen to me, Mal, I am in charge! You will do exactly as I say! I am your mother! _

_I stayed around but sometimes I wish that I hadn't! How can a failure like you be my daughter? Are you even evil? _

_Get out of my sight! Don't come back until you can prove you're worthy enough to be my daughter! Be like your mother, Mal! Don't be like your weak, pathetic father! _

_How many times have I told you not to get upset! Crying is a weakness! Feelings are a weakness! Oh boo hoo, Mal, stop being such a child! _

_You're an embarrassment! Don't let us be seen together! _

_Do you have to talk to me right now? You are so annoying! Sometimes I wish that you weren't even born. _

_Save me the torture of listening to you whining! Don't you have anything better to do than wasting my time?_

* * *

Mal had had enough. She was eleven and her mother was becoming increasingly more disappointed with her. Mal couldn't take it anymore, she would remove the thing that her mother disagreed with the most - her friendships. She didn't need them to be the biggest and baddest villain alongside her mother anyway. She'd get rid of Uma first - that girl thought she was on the same level of evilness as her but she was just fish bait.

She spent the whole night setting up and waited for the perfect moment during the day, when her and Uma were alone. She didn't want Harry to get involved and Gil was unpredictable. As the two males walked off, Mal convinced Uma to join her on a prank - too bad she didn't know it was against herself.

"Wait here, let me know when you see Cruella's son, he should be here soon," Mal ordered before walking off.

Mal took a moment to compose herself, she was really second guessing herself on this but it was the right thing to do - well, the _wrong_ thing to do. It was best to be evil and Mal would be victorious in this. She made a note to ensure Uma knew where she was before letting out a yelp and pretending to slip off the deck into the ocean, dropping a plank of wood down to make a splash. Mal grinned as Uma had instantly jumped into the ocean after her and climbed out of her hiding place under the docks. She looked at the crowd that was gathering.

"That is weakness! Those who think Uma is strong and cruel are wrong! She's a little girl failing at evilness! Jumping in to save a fellow villain is pathetic."

Mal paused as she heard Uma call her name and looked down laughing, her laugh became more of a cackle as others joined in with her.

"What you looking for, fish face?"

Uma instantly looked up shock, the betrayal evident on her face. She was starting to clock on what was happening. She quickly made her way back to shore and came back up. "Mal, what are you doing?"

"What do you think?" she asked sarcastically before pulling a rope and pouring shrimp all over Uma. "There, now you smell like you look, Shrimpy!"

"Yeah, Shrimpy!" A younger child called out.

Mal stepped up on a pillar and spoke loudly. "I hereby declare that Uma's name will be Shrimpy from now on until she dies! Anybody calling her the wrong name will deal directly with me."

Mal listened as everybody around her instantly turned on Uma, a lot of them making fun of her new name and pushing her around. She smirked down at the girl as she watched her run back to her mother's restaurant and caught sight of Harry. He did not look happy and unfortunately, it wiped the smirk off her own face.

Mal and Harry maintained eye contact for a long time before Mal broke it and walked off.

She had been victorious in pranking Uma and in turning the others against her, she knew it would be easy to make an enemy of her but would that be enough to make her mother proud? Would losing Uma as a friend or crew-member be worth it? How about losing Harry? And Gil? It was a lot to lose those who had been close to her for so many years. Unfortunately, on the Isle it was easier to make an enemy than it was to make an ally.

* * *

(Harry's POV)

It had been a few weeks since Mal had ended her friendship with Uma and the pirates; they had glared at each other any time their paths crossed and made a conscious decision to avoid one another. Mal had made it blatantly clear that they were no longer to share the same space as her. They all knew they'd have to confront each other at some point and it was expected that Mal would be the one to initiate it, but she never did.

Harry had started to grow impatient. He saw Mal controlling everybody around him, even saw some of the pirates siding with her or calling Uma 'Shrimpy' under their breaths. Mal had always had a lot of power but he never thought she'd betray him. Technically, she didn't directly betray _him_, but he knew he was next on her list. So he waited. And waited. And waited some more, but it never came. Mal totally steered clear of him.

He was sick and tired of her ignoring his existence. It was more frustrating than anything she'd done before - including pranking Uma and naming her Shrimpy. There was too much between them for that to be their ending. If she wanted to end their friendship, she was going to have to deal with him directly.

Harry waited as patiently as he could during school, glaring at her from afar, waiting until they were dismissed. He ducked away from the pirates and followed her. Mal was walking back with Jay and some new minions she had recently picked up - Harry knew it was only Jay he had to be careful of as the others weren't a threat.

Slowly, they began to disperse, and the second Jay turned off to his father's shop, Harry struck. In a slick movement, he grabbed Mal by the arm and pulled her down the street a few meters before slamming her against the wall and pinning her.

"Avoiding me?"

Mal looked up at him, her eyes just as green as they've always been. Her breath hitting his neck as her eyes caught his. "Somebody's touchy," she mocked.

Harry leant closer, their foreheads almost touching. "Too scared to face me, Mal? I wouldn't fall for one of your stupid pranks! I'd let you drown!"

A cruel laugh left her, gaining the attention of some of the walk-a-byers, but they soon moved on. "Yeah? Your actions disprove your words, Harry."

The tone of her voice was patronising, she was treating this like a game. She was right though, he had saved her from drowning a few years back and had she pulled the prank on him, he would have jumped in to save her again. That was one of the things that was more painful to think about - she had purposefully used herself as bait and either way Uma would have been doomed. Had Uma not jumped in, then Mal would have berated her as a bad crew-mate or friend and banished her or worse. She had done things similar to that. From Evie being banished for not inviting her to Mal pushing Uma and threatening her when she had faced Hades. Mal was unpredictable and always got what she wanted.

When Harry refocused, he noticed that Mal was simply leaning against the wall waiting patiently - for what, he wasn't sure.

"You finished yet?" she asked, pretending to yawn.

Harry pulled her towards him than shoved her against the wall forcefully, a small wince made its way to her face before it went blank and then teasing.

"That's all you got?"

"Is this what you want?" he asked. "MAL! IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?" he practically shouted, squeezing her arms tightly as he continued to push her against the wall.

Mal simply stared at him silently, her teeth gritted.

Harry slowly released her and laughed maniacally while shaking his head. "You're a coward," he whispered to her, their eyes still connected. "Your mother will always control you."

"I just got bored of you," she uttered gently.

Once again he moved his face to hers, almost touching. Once again, she didn't move away, not even a millimetre. "I don't believe you."

Mal glared at him but didn't say anything else.

"See you later, Mal."

With that, he turned on the spot and strutted away. He had a lot of mixed feelings about that encounter; she hadn't even tried to defend herself once their eyes had connected. Was she not afraid of him? He could tell he had physically hurt her - he didn't feel good about it but was she giving him another choice? Her casting them aside was because of her mother and she was too much of a coward to admit it.

* * *

**A/N. My apologies for the longer wait and shorter chapter! **

**Thank you very much to everybody who has faved and followed this story!**

**Huge thank you to the three reviewers! , MarvelGirl2005, and Mara. **

**Mara: I absolutely adore both ships too and haven't decided who I'm going to have end up together, so it's anybody's game. I'm glad you like MalxHarry dynamic, it's currently one of my favourite things about the story!**


	6. Mal, Age ThirteenFourteen

**The first scene occurred in the books, so it's been glossed over mildly. **

* * *

**Mal, Age Thirteen/Fourteen**

* * *

Mal had been intensely shocked when Evie came to school. Did the little princess think she had forgotten about the party? It had only been seven years. She turned the majority of her focus on ruining Evie's day, every single day. She had really wanted to cause her unspeakable pain and even used her 'big evil scheme' homework against her too.

Ever since she had cut ties with Uma and the pirates, Mal had found herself considerably more bored; she had never realised how much time she spent with them. Her mother had been proud of her methods but that didn't stop the boredom and only lasted for a very short while.

It was when her mother sent her on a wild goose chase - or a scepter hunt - that her evilest plan had formed. If they found it and she got Evie to touch it first, then she'd fall asleep for a hundred years - that would be good revenge. Maybe they'd be even then.

So the four acquaintances (Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos) all embarked on the strange and dangerous adventure to a part of the Isle where none of them had ever ventured to before. In fact, it was so hidden that they were sure most villains didn't even know of its existence. Each of them were tested in so many different ways. Exposing some of their biggest weaknesses and had to prove their strength to overcome it to continue on with the mission.

When the time came for Mal to finish her big evil scheme of the year for school, she faltered. Stopping the blue-haired girl from touching her mothers scepter which would have sent her to a never-ending sleep.

None of them even got the scepter - it had disappeared. The four of them had no choice but to return to Maleficent empty handed. Mal's mother was not happy.

* * *

After they returned - once again, Mal disappointed her mother for being weak - Mal remained close with Evie and Carlos. Jay was a more prominent feature in her crew too - but he always had been. All of their parents were strong in one way or another and that made them the perfect crew to rule the Isle with - after all, the adults were old and mostly washed up now.

* * *

A few months after her failed adventure, Mal was feeling extremely rotten. Especially on this day above all. Mal lazily strolled through her home after she got dressed. Her mother ignored her, waving her off when she tried to talk - nothing new there. Mornings were the worst time of day. She picked up her coffee like usual - the best breakfast - and had barely outran the owners for not paying when she heard somebody say her name.

"Mal," Evie said running up to her. "We need you."

"What?" Mal asked shortly, she hated being interrupted so early in the morning; she hadn't even finished her black coffee. Besides, today wasn't a joyous occasion.

Evie wasn't fazed by her crankiness. "Harry's taken Cruella's car keys."

"And?"

Evie glared at her, taking the coffee from her hands. "And she'll kill Carlos if he doesn't get them back and Harry is refusing."

Mal took her coffee back and took a sip. It was more sluggy today - just the way she liked it. "Just get Jay to steal it back."

"Tried. The pirates are defending it with swords."

Mal groaned and let Jay steal her coffee. "You can have it," she grunted. She didn't want to go directly up against Harry. Over the past few weeks, Uma and her idiot pirates had been testing them every other day, and this was just another one. Mal had led assaults, had taken them down time and time again. This time, however, it would be directly against Harry, instead of Uma. Also, not that she'd admit it, but she had twisted her ankle badly yesterday after fighting with Uma and it was still hurting.

"Fine. You distract the pirates and I'll get the keys from Harry." Mal didn't wait for them to agree before she grabbed a sword and walked off. She sauntered to the side and signalled for the three of them to start the attack. Carlos was the weakest of the four of them but still better than some of the pirates. He was great at dodging more than attacking.

Mal waited until she saw Harry join in the fight before sneaking around the back. Unfortunately, this involved getting onto the ship without using the conventional way. Mal hated water, but she was climbing up the side of the ship. One slip and she was in the ocean - falling to her death. She bit her lip to keep herself from thinking about her ankle as she climbed up and onto the deck.

She smirked as she slipped below deck undetected and began to search for the keys. This place hadn't changed one bit since she was last here. She almost paused at her graffiti on the wall - she was sure Harry would have scrubbed it off by now, after all, this part of the Isle didn't technically belong to her anymore.

"Looking for these?"

Mal spun around to see the keys on Harry's hook, he was smirking at her with a playful glint in his eye. "Harry," she acknowledged.

"Want to play a game?"

"Just give me the keys and I'll be on my way."

He laughed. "Where's the fun in that?"

Mal rolled her eyes.

"I thought you liked games, especially on your birthday."

Mal's eyes instantly flickered to his - he'd remembered. Not even her own mother bothered to acknowledge her birthday, and, yet, here Harry was, acknowledging it on the correct day. "Give me the keys, Harry."

Harry sauntered over to her, tossing the keys to one side and they landed carelessly on the floor. He stroked his hook through her hair. "You made your hair darker."

"Less noticeable in here," she found herself saying - why she told him that was beyond her, but, it was natural for her to speak to him. "New top?"

He grinned and looked down, "like it?"

"Not really."

Another laugh left his lips as his hook glazed over her jaw. "Don't you want your birthday present?"

Mal frowned. "What game are you playing, Harry?"

"Your favourite kind."

That was never a good sign. Her favourite games always involved somebody being hurt, ridiculed, or plain-old embarrassed. Was he going to do that to her on her birthday? She didn't put it past the other VKs - that was a typical birthday present she had dished out. She'd locked a countless number of children in boxes as their 'birthday present', and she wasn't sure if they'd all gotten out as she'd never released them.

She stepped back and felt the wood of the table press into her back, stopping her from stepping away from him as he stepped forward. "Want to play?"

"No."

"What happened to your spontaneity?"

"Harry," she warned.

Harry ignored her and leant forward, placing a chaste kiss on her lips before stepping back. "Harry Birthday." With that he turned on his heel and walked off.

Mal stood there stunned, waiting for the prank, or laughter, or for Uma to jump out and tease her for kissing somebody. It was after at least two minutes of nothing happening that Mal had realised what had happened. She remembered making the pact with Harry that they'd be each other's first kisses on Mal's 14th birthday.

He had tricked her into showing up to fulfill the promise they made to each other. She honestly didn't know what to think of that.

She cleared her throat and grabbed the keys from the floor and made her way up the stairs - everybody was still sword fighting, and Harry was back in the throes of it. He'd always loved a good sword fight.

Mal walked through them, dodging the hits. "Let's go."

"You got it?" Carlos asked nervously.

"Yes," she snapped. How dare he doubt her. She didn't even check if they were following and simply continued to walk. Once they were out of the docks, she threw the keys at Carlos. "If you lose them again, I'm not helping you get them back!"

"Mal, what happened down there?" Evie asked concerned.

Mal simply glared at her before walking off, because she didn't know what to think about what had occurred. Harry had been her first kiss like she had always wanted. She hated him for that.

* * *

Mal covered her face, not wanting anybody around her to see that she was laughing. Evie was being absolutely ridiculous at the moment, grabbing random pieces of materials and wrapping them around her as if she were a model. To Mal, she looked like an ancient mummy. Her friend was strutting back and forth, somehow finding more things to take.

Mal really enjoyed it when Auradon sent additional food - they must have had a party - because everybody goes crazy for it. Mal and Evie had already grabbed a bunch of food and stowed it in their hideout, with some extra in their bags for their parents. It was the best time to steal things, as there was practically no one about. This meant that this part of the Isle was practically vacated as all of the vendors were off collecting more items to sell. Fortunately for the pair, that made it the best time to steal things.

Evie ventured further down the street, haphazardly dropping things and grabbing things in a swift movement.

With a vocal laugh, Mal turned away from her friend, her hands on her knees and her head flopped down to hide it. She wasn't allowed to laugh, especially this much, but couldn't care what punishment she received if she was caught.

Evie's singing had stopped by the time Mal had calmed herself down, so she looked for where the blue-haired girl may have been. That's when she heard the fearful voice.

"No… I didn't! I wouldn't! It's yours… they're all yours!"

Mal instantly jumped into action, running down the street and sliding to a stop at the end where she saw a very angry Hades holding Evie up by some of the scarfs around her neck. Her eyes widened - how had Evie put herself into this situation.

"Do you want to know what happens when somebody steals from a God?" he questioned menacingly. His tone even scared Mal.

"Let her go!"

Hades, to his credit, didn't even look up. "No."

Mal had gambled against him before and he hadn't hurt her, but he _was_ hurting Evie and not even acknowledging her.

Out of nowhere, Carlos came running into the square and tried to grab Evie to help her. Hades instantly grabbed him, throwing him into a nearby stand.

Mal noticed Evie starting to choke with the lack of air and her movements becoming weaker. He was killing her! She quickly closed the distance and harshly pushed against his chest, forcing him to pay attention to her. And she even kicked him for good measure.

Hades free hand grabbed her arm, though it was light and she could easily escape, and bent down. Mal was pleased to see that Evie's feet landed on the ground, even though she hadn't been released. "You're making a mistake."

Evie gasped. "Mal… run…"

Mal gritted her teeth, pulled against Hades' grip, turned her back to him and squeezed herself between him and Evie, pushing her away from him.

Hades let go of Evie, both hands holding Mal in the place she had put herself.

"Run, Evie. _Now_!"

Evie didn't hesitate to bolt out of the Hades reach and straight over to Carlos who was just as terrified.

Mal felt Hades' breath on her skin. "I don't forgive easily, Mali."

Mal turned her head to face him, she wasn't the same little girl from before and wouldn't get frightened. "Neither do I."

He didn't seem so easy to forgive or let her get away with going up against him this time. "I heard I threw you off a building."

"Didn't want you to seem soft," she retorted.

"Then I should throw your little friend off a building to keep my reputation," Hades threatened.

Mal pulled away from him, but he wouldn't let her - she felt so small right now, just like she did last time she had gone against him. "Leave my crew alone!"

Hades released her and waved. "Don't go up against me, Mali."

"Or what, _Dad_?" she whispered the last word. Evie and Carlos were too close. She bent down and picked up some of the material and scarves that Evie had dropped before walking backward away from him, their eyes locked - a challenge, who would look away first.

He began to retreat too. Within a second of his first step back, Evie was by her side with Carlos shortly behind.

"Are you okay? Did Hades hurt you?"

Mal was honestly pissed at Evie and wished she had never been allowed out of exile. She was too much trouble. However, she was still her best friend - not that Mal had ever said it to her. "Next time you get into trouble, I will _not_ help you out of it! Next time, you die." She watched Evie's widened eyes and shoved the scarves to her pushing her down to the ground at the same time. She glanced at where Hades was and saw his blue hair - he was still there. She hated being watched. Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed off.

"Mal!" she heard Evie call but didn't even look back.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for the amazing response! You are all incredible!**

**VP - Thank you!**

**Mara - She's growing up so quickly before our eyes! Haha. Yeah, I love Maleficent, but in Descendants, she's definitely not a good mother. I'd love Hades raising Mal (Not canon though :'() I might be able to put in Hades thoughts on his daughters future love relationships... hmm... **


	7. Mal, Age Fifteen

**Mal, Aged Fifteen**

* * *

Mal rolled her eyes at Carlos. He was several months younger than her, but he had just had his birthday which made them both the same age - fifteen. It meant different things to both of them; he was always more tolerable when they were the same age as he acted older. They generally banded together - after all, their parents were… close acquaintances. He had come up with some really fun dares to do and the games they played were exhilarating.

"My turn," Mal said, after checking the contents of the wallet she had just snatched for the dare - a rather boring dare this time. It was pretty bare, but that was normal on the Isle. She took her time looking around before smirking at his anxious face. "I think your mother would love those furs."

Carlos turned and saw a large male wearing a long black and white fur coat.

"It looks like it was made for her. Go get it."

Carlos hesitated before wandering off. There were times that they didn't see each other for days after a dare because of how difficult it was to accomplish. Mal remembered her mother going ballistic when she disappeared for nearly a week when she was eleven - she did get those swords though, and they were extremely useful!

"Still playing games?" Harry asked, appearing next to her with a mischievous grin on his face, his eyes wide with focus - on what, she did not know.

"Get lost, Harry."

Suddenly, he had spun around and had her pinned to the wall she had previously been leaning against - it was a rather secluded alleyway they were in, which meant Mal knew he was up to something. He much preferred to make a scene.

"What do you want."

He leant in, she could feel his breath against her face. "You."

Mal rolled her eyes, she knew he was simply trying to distract her which meant that Uma was around here somewhere or had put him up to it. Well, two could definitely play that game. She looked up at him, he was hyper-focused on her - that much focus was actually off-putting - but decided to hold his gaze. "Me?"

Harry leant his weight backward, away from her, a smirk on his face. This was a game she couldn't be bothered to play at the moment. She knew Harry's tricks, though, the hopeless flirting was a new one - it must have been Uma's idea.

"Come and get me then."

Mal could tell that he hadn't been expecting her to say that, she sent a smirk up at him and rolled her eyes. The last thing she expected was for him to go through with it; guess she didn't catch his bluff. His lips met hers forcefully, one of his hands held one of her arms against the wall, while the other one rested on her hip as his whole body held her against the wall. Mal pushed against his shoulder.

"I got you."

"What are you up to, Harry?"

He leant forward, his breath hitting her ear; "Wouldn't you like to know."

She shoved him again, this time more forcefully and he took a step back laughing.

"Tell me you didn't like it."

Mal scoffed at him before hearing the sound of Uma's voice. She knew it. Without another word, she shoved past the pirate.

"Thought I couldn't smell you, Shrimpy," Mal growled as she walked into the open space, standing between Uma and Evie. "This is my terrain, my Isle! I suggest you swim back to your sandbox!" She paused. "Hi, Gil."

"Hey, Mal!"

Uma looked unapologetic, but did send Harry a look of annoyance - Mal guess she had hoped for longer to do whatever she as planning - and glared at Gil for his friendlessness. "You don't control me, I can go wherever I want."

Mal scoffed. "Have you come to challenge me?" she asked, laughing.

Uma's glare was pretty impressive, but it faltered when Jay jumped down from a near-by building and stood closely behind Mal, next to Evie.

Mal took the silence as a triumphant. "Was that your big plan, Shrimpy? Came to gawk at me? Marvel in my evilness? You know, it doesn't rub off, it's earned - and you… my little puppet… will never earn it while I'm around."

"You think you've earned this? If it wasn't for your mother you'd have nothing," Uma taunted.

Mal let out a laugh. "Oh poor me, having such a powerful mother as opposed to your fish lover for a mother. How sad for me," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "If you don't mind, I have better things to do that waste my time on you."

"Let's go. It's an insult being this close to trash," Uma decided, turning around and indicating that the two boys should follow her.

"Thanks for taking your trash self out of _my_ presence." Mal laughed in victory as she watched them descend with Harry taking a glance at her before turning around to face her friends. "How did I ever hang out with her?"

Jay shrugged. "It's pathetic."

"I'm embarrassed for her, and her outfit was awful," Evie added.

Mal nodded. "I don't trust this. Uma gave up too easily. She wouldn't have some here if it wasn't for a reason. Jay, jump up and make sure they're gone. Then I want to know everything she did while she was here and what her pirates are doing too."

The older boy instantly took off, casually pick-pocketing a passerby as he went.

"Are you alright?" Mal asked Evie instantly, she had been alone when Uma and Gil were here.

Evie nodded. "Yeah, it was all talk, no action. You looked dishevelled when you got here, what were you doing?"

"Dares with Carlos."

"What is he doing now?"

Mal smirked making Evie shake her head.

"You're so evil sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" Mal questioned. "Your lack of faith in my evilness hurts, E."

Evie laughed off the comment but sobered quickly. "What do you think Uma's up to?"

"She's building up to something, I can tell. Testing how long it takes for us to regroup - we need to know what her plan in." Mal paused in thought. "I think it's time you started flirting with some pirates."

Evie scrunched up her nose. "A pirate? Why not a prince?"

"Fresh outta them."

"Can't you?"

Mal looked at her as if she was crazy. "I have a different approach."

Evie accepted the answer and they wandered off together, Evie getting herself a new free scarf. That girl was a total hoarder on materials.

* * *

Mal snuck through the Isle, keeping to the shadows as she went, before she could see Harry's premises. She had been there a few times before, usually when it was best she wasn't seen - the first time was after she nearly drowned and was still shaky after hours, she had spent the night at his. She was eight and he was nine; her mother didn't even realise she hadn't returned home that night.

This was different though, because she was coming here with a purpose. Well… two purposes. One was to find out what Uma was planning, the second was about the kiss. That had been the second time he had initiated a kiss and she didn't know what to think about it - she might as well go to the source.

She stepped silently into his bedroom - he was one of the lucky children who had their own room, though it was barely big enough for a bed and a cabinet. Mal looked around and saw her signature graffiti on his wall - still here. She cleared her throat, making his eyes shoot open instantly.

He was obviously alarmed by her presence but put on a smirk. "Here for another kiss? Knew you couldn't resist me."

Mal scoffed. "It was a cheap ploy that failed to distract me."

Harry laughed for a second before going silent. Mal couldn't decide if it was because his father was in the room next door or if something else was going on in his mind. "And yet, here you are, sneaking into my bedroom."

"We both know you weren't there to kiss me, so don't delude yourself. What I'm curious about is why Uma told you to distract me instead of facing me herself. Is she scared?"

"Uma's not scared of you."

Mal sat down on the edge of his bed - well, mattress - and looked at him, barely any gap between them. "Really? Then why does she keep running?"

Harry scoffed, shaking his head as he played with his hook, running it down her leg. "You think she's running?"

"She thinks she's smarter."

"She is."

"Really?"

Harry looked up at her and she noticed that the crazed look she had become accustomed to these days was gone - it was the real Harry, the one she grew up with. He had lost pretty much all of his innocence over the years, especially since his mother died. His parents were never together but he had at least a part-good relationship with both of them. "You don't know what she's planning."

There was the confirmation that she was planning something. "I bet she hasn't even told you her plan - after all, you're just her minion now."

"She tells me her plans."

"Sure she does."

"She never told you her plans."

Mal looked at him sharply. She knew where he was going to go with this. She didn't want to bring up the past with Uma, but that did give her an idea. "I told you most of my plans - that's what it means to be in the same crew."

"You didn't tell me all of them," he said bitterly.

Mal slid closer to him but not quite touching him. "She was weak, still is. It was going to happen sooner or later. You knew that, so don't pretend to be innocent in all of this."

Harry shook his head. "You pushed us all aside."

"No, I didn't," Mal pointed out. She may have been planning to, but she never actually did. "You made your choice, and you chose _her_."

Suddenly, without any warning, he grabbed her with both hands - his hook forgotten on the floor - and pulled her into another forceful kiss. This time, however, she kissed him back. Slowly, his kiss became less forceful and deeper. Mal maneuvered herself into a more comfortable position, knocking something over - she ignored the sound.

Mal was the one who pulled away, having to give herself a moment to take a breath and recover. Just as she was about to question him some more, a sound behind her alerted her of the presence of another. She turned to see Hook. "Oh, hey, Hook…"

"Dad-"

"Wait until I'm out before you do that stuff," was all he said before leaving the room.

Mal heard the front door go, indicating that he had left the two of them alone and turned back to Harry. That made this moment a lot more scary for her.

"What's Uma planning?" she asked instantly to avoid anything that could resemble more closeness.

"She's going to try turning one of your own against you," he told her.

Mal could tell he was telling the truth. "Who?"

He shrugged. Now he was lying to her. But she decided it was best to not continue to question him, she'd already gotten enough. Who would she target? Jay? Evie? Carlos? Could she trust that they wouldn't betray her? What about the rest of her crew, there was so many that followed her and would jump in to defend her and fight with her, but surely Uma would know that they weren't important to her. She'd go after one of the main three.

Mal had known Jay since birth and, even though they weren't incredibly close, she trusted him enough to not go against her. Evie had been alone with Uma recently and had been directly wronged by Mal and her mother. If any of them had hatred at one point, it would have been Evie, after all, Mal did get her banished. Then there was Carlos, the weakling of the four of them, but could he go against her? He knew what the consequences would be.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Harry's fingers grazed across her jaw and tilted her head towards him.

"It hasn't worked yet," he told her before placing his lips onto hers - this one was very soft, almost sweet, something that wasn't allowed on the Isle. This kiss almost felt forbidden and made Mal yearn for it even more.

* * *

**Harry's POV**

Harry snarled at the little boy as Gil laughed next him.

"He's wet himself," Gil announced loud enough for the whole street to hear him.

Harry slowly ran his hook down the kids face. "Next time you try to steal from me, I'll hook ya!" he threatened, before bursting out into manic laughter. He pushed the boy away from him, watching him belt it down the street.

The two boys walked off, Harry sending the contents of a nearby stand onto the ground. "That was fun!" Gil said with a smile.

"Would've been better if I'd hooked him," he said, his voice filled with hate. Though he wouldn't admit it, the thought of hurting a kid that young didn't bring him joy.

Gil chuckled dumbly. "Yeah."

Harry smirked as a few kids ran out of his way, one of them falling over. "Mind your step," he called after them. Suddenly, somebody rounded the corner straight into him and a deadly grin made its way to his face. "Look who-" he froze the second those tear-filled eyes met his. She looked terrified. He didn't miss how quickly she had jumped back from the contact either.

"Are you okay, Mal?" Gil asked as Mal's face went nearly blank. Still, the tears continued to well up and slowly fall down her cheeks.

Harry opened his mouth right as the purple-haired girl turned away from them, looking for an exit. The second he noticed how much she was shaking and how a few others saw how rattled she was, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him protectively. He felt her jump but didn't care as within milliseconds, her arms were wrapped tightly around his waist and her head was buried against his chest.

Gil and Harry shared a confused look. This was not how Mal acted. Harry silently told Gil to not say anything before leading Mal out of the public eye. Gil went off in the opposite direction and created a distraction. Even though they weren't in Mal's crew anymore, Gil still didn't hesitate to help her. He did not fit in on the Isle at all.

Harry felt Mal's breaths even out as she calmed down and was relieved for a split second when she pulled back. However, it took her less than two seconds and she suddenly threw herself away from him and straight into the wall a few feet behind her. His expression softened as she exhaled in pain.

"Mal," he whispered softly, not wanting to spook her.

She barely looked at him before her head dropped and she looked at the ground. He could have sworn he saw tears welling up in her eyes again.

"What happened?"

He let out a sigh as she shook her head and stepped forward. After no reaction from her, he slowly closed the rest of the distance, slipping his hook into his back pocket, and slowly lifting her head up with his fingers. Their eyes met and he whispered, "I won't hurt you."

She nodded slowly and took a deep breath. "I know." Her voice was so vulnerable. It broke his heart to see her like this.

Gently moving his hand, he tucked her hair behind her ear. He was so tempted to tell her that he loved her but knew that now wasn't the right moment. There would never be the right moment while they were on the Isle. If her mother knew, then there would be serious consequences. If Uma found out, once again, consequences. Hell, the whole Isle might turn on somebody who confessed they 'loved' anybody. Though… nobody gave Gil's parents grief before his mother died.

Perhaps one day they could openly talk about their feelings. Today was not that day.

Instead, he let her rest her head back on his chest and held her.

Eventually, the two of them made their way to his home and laid down on the couch. Mal looked mildly reluctant to begin with but was currently snuggled up close to him.

"Did you want to talk about what happened?" he asked her softly, running his hand up and down her back.

"No," she answered softly.

Harry accepted this and never did find out why she had been so upset. Though, he thought back to this night many times. It was the only time Mal had spent the night when they hadn't kissed, argued, or even really spoke. He knew she needed comforting from something but didn't know what. The most likely bet was that it had something to do with her mother. She never spoke about what her mother did to her and even though he occasionally was able to connect the dots - this was not one of those times.

It took Mal hours to fall asleep and once she was out, he let himself join her in the dream land. The two of them didn't even leave the room the following day. It was a good thing Harry had a stash of food, but Mal didn't seem to care about eating.

In fact, the purple-haired girl didn't seem to care about anything.

Harry didn't mind too much. He was getting a bit angsty and being cooped up inside, but didn't want to leave her.

It was the middle of the following night when she had woken up with a start, waking him up too.

"Hey, I'm right here," he soothed.

Bloodshot eyes snapped to his before she relaxed. Then as suddenly as she had woken up, she kissed him. It was a kiss of need. He wasn't sure what she needed but did not turn her away. As her hand started to wonder, he stopped her, holding onto her risk gently.

"What are you doing?"

"You've had a girl in your bed since last night and you haven't tried to take me, why?"

Harry was taken-back by her sudden anger at him. She had shown no signs that she wanted to get physical, in fact, he had been getting the opposite reaction from her. "You're not just a random girl in my bed, Mal," he replied confused. "And I wouldn't want our first-time to be for anything but us both wanting it to happen." He attempted to phrase his words carefully, knowing that she could explode at him at any moment.

She shoved him back onto the bed. "You're weak," she accused.

He watched her silently for a moment, causing her to hit his chest harshly. "Yeah. When it comes to you I'm weak," he admitted.

A growl left his lips when she hit him again. The look of hate on her face saddened him. He knew it had nothing to do with him. So as the hits carried on coming, he took them. He let her take out all of her anger on him until eventually she was a hot mess.

Even though his chest was killing him from the constant blows, he pulled her to him and held her as she cried again. He had never seen anybody cry this much and knew he would do anything to avoid her ever being this _broken_ again in the future.

Harry tried to think through all of the possibilities of what could have happened. Of what her mother could have done. He'd seen her similarly this distressed after she almost drowned but that didn't fit with her actions too much. He simply could not think of anything that could break Mal - she was the most strong-willed person he had ever met.

That night was longer than the last but as the light illuminated the room, it seemed that Mal had gotten all of her emotions out and sat up looking at him.

"How's your chest?"

Harry glanced down at the bruising and raised an eyebrow. "Better now you're not lying on me."

Mal rolled her eyes and he knew she was back - hopefully.

He pushed himself to sit up and winced. "Fuck… did you break a rib?"

Each of her hands came forward and delicately poked his chest a few times. "You shoulda stopped me. A lesson learnt."

With an eye roll, he shook his head. "You're a handful."

A smirk made its way to her lips but she didn't reply. He could tell it would have been a witty response but didn't question when she stood up and stretched out her limbs. "It goes without saying that nobody finds out about this."

"Which part?" he teased, though raised his arms at her glare. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

"See you in school."

"Mal," he called, stopping her in her tracks as he stood up, ignoring the pain. He was definitely going to stop her next time. "If you need me, you know where to find me, okay?"

She looked very torn. "And you know where to find me."

Harry was actually shocked by her response and watched her leave, giving his dad a nod as she passed him.

"Really Harry? I was here last night!"

Harry rolled his eyes and returned to his room. He didn't go to school that day, he simply laid down and willed his chest to recover quickly.

* * *

**A/N: A longer chapter this time!**

**Who's ready for a bit more of Hades next chapter? **

**If you're reading this, I'd love a review or two - it gives me so much motivation!**

** \- Love that idea, unfortunately, it doesn't fit with the storyline. I might write a oneshot for it if I find time over the next few weeks. Thanks for the suggestion!**

**Mara - Hades is a very intense person - I mean God! Yeah, I'm not overly using the books but it was a storyline that was amazing and I think might be canon in the films? So I didn't want to rewrite it or copy it over. Thanks! Won't be long until Mal gets to Auradon, she's now fifteen!**


	8. Mal, Age Sixteen

**Mal, Aged Sixteen**

* * *

Mal and Harry were laying in a very compromising position, neither of them caring if they caught - not that they would be. Both of them knew how to hide. Mal was staring at the Isle's dark cloud through the hole in the roof. It would be weird to look up and see anything different - somebody had told her the cloud represented all of the evil on the Isle. She had believed that for a while.

"When are you leaving?"

Mal shrugged. "Can't stay long - my mother is being extremely crazy at the moment."

"You know what I mean. When are you leaving this hellhole?"

Mal's attention immediately snapped to Harry. "How'd you know?"

Harry laughed sarcastically. "It's not everyday anybody gets off the Isle, and now you and your whole crew are going to Auradon."

Mal caught his eyes but had to look away, there was just too much emotion there, she didn't even try to decipher it. "I didn't ask to go."

"It's been everybody's dream."

"Not mine."

"Liar."

Mal looked at him. She remembered the first time she had met him, he had been throwing rocks at the barrier in an attempt to break free, and he had very much remained the same person. He hated being trapped or restrained. Harry was a free spirit. He would happily spend his whole life sailing the world and not bothering anybody. But they were all kids' of villains, nobody cared about them. That was… until now.

"Well… you don't have to dream much longer," Mal said. He nudged her, seeking more information. "I'm going to steal Fairy Godmother's wand and bring down the barrier." It was a bit of a daunting task if she was honest with herself.

"That's great!"

Mal looked at him, his excitement radiating off him, actually rubbing off on her, making her smile. "You'll have to follow my orders though, I'll be ruling it with my mum."

Harry leant over, connecting their lips for a few minutes before pulling back, still hovering over her. "I'll be your first mate."

"That's so corny!" she expressed pulling him down to her lips again. She was going to miss this sort of comfort. Even though she and Harry were publically enemies and have hurt each other - sometimes, really badly - she felt safe in his arms when it was just the two of them. Dare she say, she could actually see herself with him in his hell hole - but now everything was changing, she would be leaving the Isle and expected to play a part. Eventually, she pulled back, before things could escalate again; she really couldn't stay all night this time.

Their eyes connected and, this time, Mal didn't avoid it. "I l-"

"Stop," she warned.

His hand caressed her jaw. "I love you."

Mal froze - that was now out in the universe. Love was prohibited on the Isle. Even so, she couldn't stop the whisper from leaving her in reply. "I love you."

The two of them remained silent for minutes, neither of them moving. He seemed just as surprised at her confession as she had been about his.

"Six days," she stated answering his original question.

Harry visibly paused, "that soon?"

She nodded in confirmation. "I'll get you outta here."

"Won't forget me when surrounded by all of those princes?"

Mal pulled a face. "It's like you don't even know me."

Harry smirked and leaned down to kiss her once more before she rested her hands on his bare chest and pushed him away. He sat up, grabbing his clothes and instantly began dressing.

Mal followed suit, getting dressed quicker than him and stood up. "Tell Shrimpy I said hi," she teased, knowing he wouldn't do that. Without letting him respond or even looking back at him, she climbed up the ladder and out of the building to head home. This could be the last moment she spent with Harry alone before she left, but they didn't do feelings and they didn't do dating. They were just secretly passing their time together.

* * *

**Hades POV**

Hades' full attention turned to Celia, his pack-rat, at her words. Even though he always pretended to not listen to the rubbish she spilled out of her mouth, he did like knowing what was going on on the Isle. He still ventured up on occasion and didn't want to be confused by any of the changes. Usually, Celia just supplied him with useless information. However, from time to time, there's something incredibly interesting that engages him and he makes him ask for further information. This was one of them.

"What did you say?" he asked bluntly, turning his attention to the little girl.

Celia looked at him, unbothered by his sudden attention. "Four kids are going to Auradon Prep, chosen by the King himself or something."

"Which kids?" he asked, thinking about how he could use them to get him off the Isle.

"Jay, he's hot by the way; Carlos, he's the one with the super weird mum; Evie, the one with awesome fashion; and Mal, the ultimate badass kid on the Isle."

"Mal? She's leaving? When?"

Celia nodded. "A few days."

Hades sat down in his seat, slipping his sunglasses off and waiting for Celia to bugger off. Mal, his daughter, was leaving the Isle. She was going somewhere he couldn't protect her. He closed his eyes and thought back to the day she was brought into this world.

_Hades stood watching in absolute disgust as Maleficent screamed and cursed. Dr. Frakenstein was giving her orders - which his obnoxious wife was ignoring - as he was trying to deliver the child. Even though the doctor claimed he wasn't trained to deliver children, Hades knew he had helped Jafar's son to be born into the world, and his own child, too. Sure, the women didn't survive. But Hades didn't care and Maleficent never asked. _

"_What's taking so long?" he demanded. _

"_She's not pushing," Dr. Frankenstein answered. _

_Hades grabbed a hold of the three-year-olds arm threateningly. Not caring as Dr. Frakensteins' son let out a cry of surprise and tried to wiggle out of his hold. "Then make her push!"_

_It was an agonising twenty minutes before a baby's cry filled the air. Dr. Frankenstein instantly took it over to the sink and cleaned it up before wrapping it in the blanket Hades had brought. "It's a girl," he said holding the baby out to the god. _

_Without hesitation, Hades took his little girl safely into his arms and soothed her until the crying stopped. He looked up after a few moments. "Help my wife. Your son will be unharmed if both my wife and child are okay, remember?"_

That had been a day to remember. He was the leading parent around for Mal and always ensured she was fed, washed, and clothed. It was the day of Mal's first crawl that he had left. Leaving her mother was easy - leaving his daughter was one of the hardest things he hd ever done. There were days where he regretted his decision and others when he knew it was for the best. Even if he wasn't the one she saw every day, he'd never left her. As she grew up, he was always in the shadows, and even though he couldn't help her in the light, he ensured somebody was looking out for her.

_Hades watched as his five-year-old daughter stood her ground with a sandy-haired boy and a braided-haired girl. He wanted to intervene. It was difficult to hold back when it turned into a physical fight with his little Mali being thrown onto the ground and kicked. If he just walked out into the light, he could stop this and help her. Would that make her weak? Would knowing she was his daughter put her in more danger? She was already attacked enough being related to the mistress of evil. _

_Forcing himself to just watch was near impossible. _

_A black-haired boy ran over and tackled one of the biggest boys to the ground. Unfortunately, when the now four little kids started winning, more from the opposing gang approached them menacingly. It was a battle for territory. _

_Mal stood in front of the sandy-haired boy, ready to fight. _

_As a sword was pulled out, Hades took a step forward but a voice halted him - the voice of an adult. _

"_If you touch my son or his friends, you'll deal directly with me." It was Hook. It didn't take long before the gang dispersed, deciding not to risk it against an adult villain. "Harry. Don't pick fights. I can't defend you all the time - only pick fights you can win."_

"_I didn't start this fight! They did! I just didn't back down," the black-haired boy, Harry, argued. _

_The three little kids nodded, including his daughter. "We could've taken them, Hook! You made us look weak!"_

_Hades couldn't help but smile in pride. His little girl wasn't so little anymore. Just last year she could barely even get a sound out when she was attacked, and now she was extremely sassy. She'd go far here. _

_Unfortunately, that didn't change the fact that he had failed to help her. What if she needed him? Would he had stepped up if she had been hurt? Revealed himself? Hades wasn't sure. _

_His eyes followed Hook as he walked off and ended up following him, waiting until the other Dad was alone. "Hook."_

_The man turned around with a glare which transformed into mild shock. "Hades," he acknowledged. _

"_I can help your son in the shadows, if it's ever needed, for a price."_

_Hook looked intrigued by this. That alone showed him that this man cared about his son. "What's the price?"_

_Hades took a moment to ensure this was the right move. "You look after Mal in the light."_

"_So, the previous rumours are true; she is your daughter."_

"_Do we have a deal? Or will little Harry have an accident?"_

_Hook's look darkened considerably. Definitely a good father. "Defending somebody in the light is dangerous. Especially when it's not your own child. It's too high a cost."_

_He didn't flat out say no. "What are you suggesting?"_

"_I also have a daughter. Harriett."_

_Hades didn't even need to think. He nodded. "Deal."_

From then on, the man had always lived up to his word and protected his daughter like she was his own. There were a few times that Hades had even envied Hook for how close he was with Mal. But as long as she was happy and safe, it was worth it.

Mal had gotten stronger and stronger as the years went on. Hades grew more and more proud of her each time he saw her. When she had faced off against him when she was fourteen, it was both amazing and depressing. She had become the strong, independent young lady she needed to be to survive this hell-hole. But she looked at him as if he didn't mean anything to her. He loved her. It was best this way though.

That didn't stop the immense fear that she wasn't going to be around anymore. There was no chance of bumping into her on the street or hearing Celia talk about the recent fight or gossip involving her. He couldn't help her if she needed it.

But, if had to choose between getting off the Isle or his daughter getting off the Isle, he'd choose Mal. However, he was smart enough to figure out a third option; he'd choose himself, but he'd break his daughter out instantly afterward. After all, he was a God.

A few days. That's all he had. A last chance to see his daughter face to face before potentially never being close to her again.

With one swift move, he stood up and made his way out of the underground. There was no time like the present.

* * *

It took Hades just an hour to have his daughter in his sight. She looked miserable. He followed her around for three hours and listened in on her conversations. At her confession to one of her crew-members that she didn't want to leave the Isle, he knew for sure what he wanted to say to her. And he wasn't about to wait around for her to be alone.

Silently stepping through the shadows, he waited for the right moment to grab Mal. Within seconds, she was out of the sight of her crew and in an abandoned building with him. He hadn't lost his touch.

The second her eyes landed on his, she glared. "What?"

Here goes nothing. "Ignore your mother." She instantly looked confused at his words. "This is your second chance, take it. Be selfish."

"You'll be set free too," she reminded him. The young girl presumed he knew the plan. It looked like it was a simply 'release everybody'.

He shook his head. "If you do that, you won't have the chance of a happy life."

Mal rolled her eyes and turned from him.

"Whatever you decide to do, I'll never be disappointed," he spoke honestly. She turned around and looked at him with wide green eyes. "Goodbye Mali. Just remember, I'm proud of you."

He turned and started to walk off, though stopped when the 'Dad' came out of her lips. He looked at her. "You don't even know me, how can you be proud?"

Hades smiled. "A father knows." With that said, he walked off. The former God had to pause once he was alone and compose himself. Goodbyes were always difficult.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed receiving a look into Hades' thoughts!**

**This is (for the most part) the end of the pre-descendants part of the story! It only started as one chapter and ended with eight! **

**A huge thank you to those who reviewed:**

** Daddy's HQxx - I agree! Uma can try all she likes but the core three are loyal! You will find out why she got so upset... in about eight chapters.**

**Descendants4 - I promise, you'll find out eventually!**

**Cecilia. dryan- Thanks for reviewing! I'll think about your idea.**

**MustangQueen16 - I, wholeheartedly, agree!**

**valeria. ariassolis- Me too! They're my favourite :D**


	9. It's VK Day!

**A/N: Descendants 1 and 2 remain unchanged. **

**Occurs DIRECTLY after D2. Spoilers from D3. D3 will semi-occur at a different speed. May gloss over parts. The timings will be altered too.**

* * *

**It's VK Day!**

* * *

Mal didn't see Harry for a few months, as she moved to Auradon. Things were different there, and maybe she didn't want to be evil - because she didn't have to be. She met Ben - _a prince, no less_ \- and Jay bonded with the turney team. Carlos met a dog and loved him. Even Evie managed to find a less superficial love, which was always a worry. Together, they tried to steal the wand, but in the end, it wasn't worth it. Together, they decided they wanted to be good.

For a while, things were good. Mal played her part; being in love with a prince meant that she had to also be the perfect princess. It didn't last as long as everyone hoped, and she ran back to the Isle. Of course, things went South, because she had been away too long. Uma had taken over her turf, Harry was callous and flirtatious all at once, and Mal was left fighting for her life in Auradon, while trying to be more of her old self again. After Uma tried to trick Ben into loving her instead of Mal, Mal left the Isle behind again, determined to bring peace between the two regions that she held dear.

It was decided. They would bring more VKs to Auradon, in an effort to make things a little more whole again.

* * *

Mal laughed with Evie and Celia as they walked down the halls of Auradon Prep. The second transition of VKs successfully were incorporated into the school and seemed to be more susceptible to being good. Celia had the hardest time, always pulling pranks and scamming others. There was talk about her attending extra goodness classes when the third batch of VKs joined them.

Mal was sure that had Fairy Godmother been in-tune with this idea, then she would still be in goodness class today. She had only handed over her spellbook last month. Mal laughed to herself, receiving a confused look from the two girls beside her, it had only taken five weeks of Dizzy, Celia and the twins being here for Evie to get the green light in bringing another four kids over.

"Care to explain?" Evie asked.

Mal grinned. "I'm just thinking about how everything has changed so quickly." She paused before deciding to continue. "It's just so refreshing having some villain kids here - makes everything less stressful."

"That and you've been avoiding Ben half the time."

"I am not avoiding Ben," Mal replied instantly, coming to a stop, her face deadly.

Celia backed away. "I'm gonna find Dizzy."

Evie placed her hands on her hips. "Yes, you have. Sometimes you're inseparable, but lately, ever since you broke Uma's love spell with 'true love's kiss', you've been avoiding him."

"I've just been busy, looking after the new VKs, doing work, focusing on school," she defended.

"Then go and spend time with him now," Evie challenged.

Mal hesitated. She had originally been thrilled that they had true love but she had reexamined what true love was. Was it just mutual love? Would it last? Love wasn't something she was trained to understand and she was still hesitant about it. "We were going to go over the applications for the VKs."

Evie gave her a pointed look. "We can handle it. Besides, they suggested a younger set of kids, so it'll be more random for your choice as you never interacted with them."

Mal frowned - she had debated that decision a few times, if they only chose the younger children, then the older ones would age out and miss their opportunity. Though, she did understand that it was easier when they're younger. The twins adapted the quickest, though they did miss their Dad the most.

With a huff, Mal spun around and stomped off to find Ben. She quickly had to pull herself out of her annoyance and put on a neutral expression - she couldn't stomp around Auradon Prep, especially when on her way to see Ben. There were expectations about her behaviour that she was fully aware of.

It only took her fifteen minutes to find him, he was going through a stack of paperwork. She didn't want to disturb him but Evie had been right, she hadn't spent as much time with Ben as she usually did.

"Hey."

Ben looked up, smiled, and stood up. "Hey! What brings you here?"

Mal walked over to him, dropping a kiss on his cheek. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages, thought I'd poke my head in."

"I'm so sorry! I've been so busy, I didn't mean to-"

"Ben. No need, we've both been busy," Mal quickly stopped him. While it seemed to be easy to make Ben believe it was his fault, that was a bit too cruel for her. Nowadays, anyway. "What are you doing?"

Ben turned to look at the paperwork. "Just going through the paperwork I have. Being a king isn't as glamorous as some people believe."

Mal let out a small laugh. "I guess being Queen will involve paperwork too then?"

He nodded in confirmation before holding her close around the waist. "You'll pick it up really quickly."

She nodded but wasn't entirely convinced. On the plus side, if she had paperwork to do, she could stay in her room and be herself a little more than she was instead of constantly being watched. "How about we walk around the gardens?"

Ben opened his mouth to say something but paused. The length of the pause told her he was going to decline. "I really wish I could Mal, I really need to get some of this paperwork finished tonight. But tomorrow for lunch? We can go on a picnic at our favourite spot."

Mal smiled, leaning into him, she could tell how he hated telling her no. "I can't. Selecting the new VKs in the morning, I won't be back until the afternoon."

"That's quick."

"You agreed, remember? Celia and Dizzy both said they were ready on the day anyway and the waiting was worse than anything. So we'll pick them up the following day. Maybe tomorrow evening?"

Ben nodded, still looking down-heartened about not being able to spend time with her now.

Mal knew she'd be extremely busy when the VKs were here and couldn't guarantee when they could spend time together. So, she wanted to ensure she used every ounce of the time she had now to spend with him. "What are you eating for dinner today?"

"I was just going to grab something from the kitchen."

"How about I head to the kitchen and bring us both something up to eat together?" she suggested, landing a kiss on his lips.

She could see his thought process before he agreed. "Okay."

Mal smiled and stepped out of his hold. "See you soon." She sent him a glance over her shoulder to him to see he had already turned his attention back to his paperwork and had to hold back a frown. Being king was a very busy and time-consuming role.

Mal paused the second she was out of his room and shook her head. Why was she being so reluctant? Of course, she loved Ben, she loved everything about him: his kindness, openness, goodness, lovingness, and everything else. They even proved their love with a true love's kiss - that doesn't just work for anyone!

Ben was right for her, she just needed to let go of all the stress. She could do this. Ben was right, she'd pick it up really quickly. Mal took a deep breath before continuing on her route to the kitchens. A little time with Ben and she knew things would be okay.

* * *

Mal had opted to get them tacos; it was something she had never actually had so had to improvise on what else to take up with her. Thankfully, the kitchen staff were very helpful and created the tray for her after asking for her options. It was moments like this that Mal felt she fitted in well and could really get used to, the friendliness of everybody and their adaptability was a shining star to her. She thanked them - thrice - before carrying the tray back through the halls. She had refused the help to carry them up because this felt more intimate to her for some reason. Had she thought about it beforehand, she would have made him something.

Ben had always gushed about her baking and cooking, though, she was pretty sure he was lying about her cooking but was too kind to say anything.

As she got to Ben's room, the guard opened the door for her without even asking any questions. It was intriguing to think about how much things have changed while she's been here. She smiled at Ben as she walked in and placed the food down on the table, waiting a minute for him to finish up the important paperwork he was doing before speaking. "I hope you like tacos."

"I love tacos," he replied, his eyes scanning over his desk before he moved away from it and towards her. He instantly dropped a kiss on her lips before sitting down next to her, his hand running down her arm affectionately. "How is Celia settling in? Has she stopped conning students out of their money?"

Mal let out a laugh as she watched how Ben was constructing his taco and copied him. "She's just getting her cut. However, she has calmed down a lot and is doing really well with her studies. Fairy Godmother even said that she might not have to do a whole term in goodness class, just another few weeks!"

Ben held up his taco and 'clinked' it with hers. "That's great. It's fitting that you chose the most mischievous one of them all."

"I'm thinking about going for a full-on villain or the nastiest little girl I can find this time," she joked before they both took a bite. Mal leant forward as the shell broke and she began to make a complete mess of things. How on earth was Ben eating without making a mess? He was actually laughing at her! "This is impossible to eat."

He cleared his throat and dabbed a napkin against his lips. "It takes practice. Do you like it?"

Mal nodded.

"Then keep eating, it's just us two in here. We'll just ensure that we do not have them in public," he said, the teasing evident in his voice.

Mal flicked a piece of cheese at him but laughed regardless. She thought she had mastered the art of eating without making a fool of herself, but with Ben, it didn't matter. With a grin, she took a messy bite of her taco, making less of a mess than before but showing that she was enjoying the food. The sound of his laughter filled her ears. "I love that sound."

Ben hummed. "What sound?"

Mal hesitated. She was still slightly closed off sometimes and it took a lot of effort to always be so open. "The sound of your laugh."

Ben's hand moved up and caressed her cheek lovingly. "I love you."

"I love you."

* * *

Mal stared out of the window as she travelled with all of the VKs back to the Isle. She smiled at how far the twins had come. They were still insanely shy but the excitement about seeing their father was really making them open up. They loved Auradon Prep - they'd said so themselves - but living away from home was difficult for them. She had to wonder if they were too young to be taken away from home or not. Mal couldn't shake off the feeling that they all should be choosing older children but that was one decision that had been taken out of her hands.

She was pulled from her thoughts by Evie. "Mal?"

"Yes."

"Here are some suggestions for children. Preferably the ones on the top as they'll be in the same year as the girl I've chosen. It'll be easier with dorms and support."

As Mal nodded and flicked through the options, she noticed that they were all females aged six to nine. Six-years-old was definitely too early. If she had to choose from these options, it would definitely be a nine-year-old. Mal knew that this was all experiments, nobody knew what would be the best process. "Who did you choose?" she asked, looking up at Carlos and Jay.

"The Sheriff of Nottingham's two sons. They're eleven and eight," Jay answered.

Mal nodded, eleven and eight years old - Mal probably could have handled being taken that young. Definitely age eleven. Besides, the twins were eight - right? So they proved that worked. She reached over and picked up the rest of the options, her eyes almost bulging at a two-year-old - that was obviously their parents filling it out. Some villain parents wanted their children off the isle this early? Either it was to give their child a better chance at life or because they couldn't be bothered to look after them anymore. Probably the latter.

Mal sighed. This decision could change somebody's life and she had to think carefully about it. She went back to the options provided by Evie and looked at the nine-year-olds. They all deserve a chance, but who would benefit the most now? The earliest they could take them was six, and while Mal did see the benefit of it - having that much education in a good place - she couldn't even imagine herself being taken away that early. That would have wiped away everything she knew about herself. She was around six or seven when she had a life-changing encounter with her Dad that had shown her that nobody cared for her and pushed her to the side when they were in the way. It was when he straight out told her that she wasn't allowed to visit him. She still held that pent up anger at him - and refused to let any other feelings in. Nobody could be trusted on the Isle - you couldn't count on anybody, everybody knew that.

"We're here!" Celia announced, practically climbing over Mal to get out and running in the direction of her father.

Mal followed the others to the top of the stairs, still holding five of the application forms in her hands, still to decide. Mal decided it didn't matter who came right now, it'll help them, and that is what was important.

The four of them went in the same order as before, Evie, then the boys, then it would be her turn.

Mal realised she was zoning out again and watched the younger of the two brothers run up and jump on Carlos in excitement. Usually, that sort of happiness was frowned upon, but not anymore, it seemed.

"Mal," Evie whispered, indicating it was her turn.

"Right," she muttered before looking out at the crowd, looking for the girl she had decided on. "And lastly, for this time, anyway, we…" she paused as she saw Harry in the crowd. Had he put an application in? Or was he ready to make fun of everybody gathered here? Mal would have remembered had he put one in, but she wasn't given the boys applications, just the girls. She was elbowed by Evie. "We have decided that second chances are important to move forward." She paused again, this time to see Evie, Carlos, and Jay's confused looks. "Harry Hook."

"What?!"

This was the reaction of her three friends.

Mal quickly turned her attention to the crowd where Harry was. He hadn't moved. This was a gamble. "Come on Harry," she encouraged, to which he let Gil push him towards the stairs and then walked up.

Harry had a grin on his face and leant in. "I didn't put an application in, Mal."

"I'll help you with it later," she said simply before looking out at the crowd. "This time, as you all know, we'll be leaving tomorrow! So say your goodbyes quickly! We hope to be back again soon! Keep those applications coming in!"

"Let's go to your parents," Jay said, taking his chosen child's hand and walking over to Carlos before disappearing into the crowd.

Evie sent Mal a questioning look. "Mal…"

Mal smiled. "We have limited time. Talk later?"

"You better," Evie replied, before walking off with the girl.

Mal made a mental note to remember the other kids' names because she simply couldn't remember them. She turned to Harry. "Right, us original VKs are leaving in an hour, let's go make sure Daddy Dearest will let you go!"

Harry crossed his arms suspiciously. "Why did you four choose me?"

"Everybody deserves a second chance, even if they don't want it," Mal responded, turning on her heel and walking in the direction of the docks - she knew exactly where he lived so didn't need directions. A few seconds later he was by her side. Mal was silently regretting her decision already. What was she thinking? Harry was one of the worst on the Isle at the moment and had kidnapped Ben merely months ago!

They walked into his home together. Mal raised an eyebrow and picked up an application form. "Oh, look what I found?"

Harry looked over to her and laughed maniacally. "That's not for me," he lied, grabbing a bag and shoving his stuff into it.

"It has your name on it," she pointed out. She didn't mention as the rest of the details were left blank, then again, in the past, he had trouble with numbers and was behind her in reading and writing - not that they were actually taught to do it. Mal slowly stepped around the small space, there was barely any changes, in fact, there were three changes since the last time she was here. Her hand grazed over his wall where she had spray-painted her mark, it was so faded now.

"I'm guessing you're not allowed to do that at bore school," Harry said, standing directly behind her.

Mal turned around, taking a step back and ending up against the wall, they were still really close. "It's frowned upon. You ready?"

Harry nodded. "Looks like we've got some time to kill," he said, leaning forward - definitely too close.

"We have to check with Hook that it's okay, remember?"

"And yet, you chose to be alone with me, in my room," he said suggestively. When his lips touched hers, it was so tempting for her to just give in - after all, who would not? But those thoughts barely lasted a second before she pressed her hands against his chest and pushed him away.

"I'm with Ben," she said strongly. "I didn't choose you to rekindle what we had."

Harry let out a laugh. "Sure, love, keep pretending."

Mal rolled her eyes and walked out of his room, she didn't need him with her to gain Hooks' permission.

* * *

"I heard the great news!" Hook announced as Mal walked over to him, his arms wide open before he engulfed her into a hug. "Harry is so lucky to have you."

Mal patted his back before pulling out of the hug, she'd always found his craziness too much to bear. "He'll be leaving for Auradon Prep tomorrow. You'll be there to hand him over, right?"

"I wouldn't miss it! He'll own the best ship over there!"

Mal forced herself to laugh right before Harry's arm slung itself over her shoulders.

"You alright with this Dad?"

"Of course! You can stop bothering me and actually do something for once!"

Mal glanced at the group before looking up at Harry. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Harry nodded, grinning at her as if his Dad hasn't just said that. "I can't _wait!_"

* * *

The limousine had barely started to move before all eyes were on Mal. She knew it was coming, especially as it was just the four of them. All of the other VKs had opted to stay with their families for the weekend.

"Time to talk," Evie said.

Mal sighed and leant back against the seat. "I just chose at random, okay? Everybody deserves a second chance like we got, in fact - I had more than one second chance, didn't I?"

"But he's been your enemy for your whole life!" Evie countered, trying to make her see reason but it backfired.

"Since eleven," Mal corrected. "Before that we were… in the same crew. You don't know him like I do, Evie. All he's ever wanted was to get off the Isle and to be given a chance. I don't see why it's such a big deal."

"Not a big deal?"

"Evie, Mal is right, we should give him a chance," Jay said, supporting her.

Mal smiled at him. Jay was the only one that had always been around Mal and probably the one who knew her at every stage of both of their lives. For some reason, Jafar and Maleficent remained civil the entire time. Though despite always knowing each other, they've never been close, even now, neither of them would say that they were particularly close with one another. "As children," she started, wanting to explain her decision slightly, "he was always very kind. Nothing phased him. I can't even name the number of times he helped me, whether it was fixing up a wound, trying to cheer me up after my mother yelled at me, defending me when I couldn't myself, supporting my decisions. He was always better than me, almost… good. Sure, he's a bit crazy and loves to hurt others, trick them, rob them… but is that any different from how we were?"

Evie conceded. "I suppose even Harry Hook deserves to be given a chance."

The conversation stopped there. The four of them went silent for the rest of the journey. Tomorrow's journey home was going to be even more awkward and Mal just knew Harry wouldn't hold his tongue.

* * *

Mal had left the VKs the second the limousine stopped, instantly making her way to find Ben. She simply couldn't stop thinking about him and wanted to be the one to talk through the arrangements for the newest VKs and just spend time with him tonight before both of their schedules were hectic again.

She tapped on his door before poking her head in, it didn't surprise her that he was dealing with paperwork. "Hey," she whispered, slipping into his room.

He looked up and smiled, instantly standing up and approaching her. "Hey, how'd it go?"

Mal closed the distance, dropping a kiss onto his lips affectionately. She smiled as his arm went around her waist and pulled back from the kiss. "We're going to think about sleeping arrangements with the new VKs. I went a bit off book and chose Harry Hook, so we'll need three rooms."

"Harry Hook?" he questioned, a little confused. "What made you choose him?"

"It was mostly random, I shuffled through the list and remembered seeing his name," Mal let out a shrug. She didn't want to lie to Ben but couldn't be completely honest. Not right now. But, she could at least give him an ounce of truth. "When I first met him, we were four, and he was trying to break the barrier down with rocks. It wasn't for revenge or anything evil, he just knew he was trapped and wanted to be free." She paused as Ben played with the tips of her hair. "The Isle wasn't a good place to grow up and your proclamation was to take all of the children off the Isle bit by bit. Harry deserves that chance too."

Ben nodded and didn't pull back from her - that was a great sign, he was always so understanding. "Who else is coming?"

Mal's eyes widened mildly as she searched her mind to remember. "Jay and Carlos chose two brothers, Nate and Nathan, sons of the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Evie chose an eight-year-old girl, Felicity, daughter of Fleance," she informed him, holding out the four sheets of paperwork which he accepted.

He looked over it for a few moments before placing it down on his desk and turning his attention back to her. "We'll have the girl share with Poca, she's very free-spirited but has requested a roommate, she's the same age and will be a good role model."

"Poca?"

"Pocahontas's daughter."

Mal smiled. "You are really good at this king stuff."

Ben brushed her hair back.

"I have something to tell you," Mal admitted stepping away from him and sitting on his bed. He came and sat next to her, concern instantly taking over his features. "I wanted you to hear it from me that Harry and I have a past."

"What kind of past?"

Mal looked away from him for a second before looking at their joined hands. "He was my first real friend, the first person I felt safe with, my first kiss. We did become enemies but there was always that connection there. Whenever we were with our respective crews, we hated each other, even injured each other. But if we found ourselves alone…" she drifted off and looked over at him to see his reaction.

He was waiting patiently for her to finish the sentence but his face was blank like he wasn't sure how to process the information.

"We weren't enemies. We were close."

"I'm glad you had a friend on the Isle apart from Evie, Jay, and Carlos."

Mal forced herself to let out a small laugh. "Jay and I have been… close since we were born. But Evie and I were enemies until we were 13. And Carlos, well, I was horrible to him most of our lives until Evie and I joined the same crew."

"Really?" he asked. "I didn't know."

"There's a lot on the Isle that you don't know about."

Ben moved her hand closer to him and held it with both of his. "Want to talk about it?"

Mal, in the past, had refused to talk about the Isle, she didn't want to bring up the past. There wasn't one single person she had brought with her who even knew fully what had happened to her, however, now that Harry was coming, that changed things. Harry and Jay combined nearly knew everything, and unlike Jay, Harry wasn't always the best at keeping his mouth shut. In the past she trusted him wholeheartedly, especially to keep their relationship a secret, but he was unpredictable. Maybe it was time she opened up to him about her past. "Yeah, I want to talk about it. What did you want to know?"

"Anything you want to say."

Mal took a deep breath.

"When I was seven or eight, I remember my mum telling me she was proud of me. I had just got the highest score in badness class and had pulled the cruelest prank. Uma, Harry, Gil, and I each kidnapped a younger child - I had chosen Carlos." Mal looked down, holding his hand tighter. "We blindfolded them, tied them up, and locked the four of them in a box. I didn't go back for them, neither did Harry or Gil, but Uma did. She released them the following morning in time for class. Two of them had soiled themselves. That didn't matter to me though, because my mum was proud of me. Said I was truly wicked at that moment - she never has been that proud of me since. That was a common occurrence, locking others up. I'd been locked up countless times, usually by my mother - it was the blindfolding and tying them up that seemed to have made it that much crueler."

Ben remained silent, she didn't expect him to say anything, after all, he was the poster boy for good and she'd just reveal a horrible event. It wasn't the worst thing that she had done. The worst thing would never be uttered; there were still years of winning that assignment.

"It wasn't all bad on the Isle though. Even though friendships were not allowed, they did exist, you just had to be sneaky about it. If it wasn't for friendships, I wouldn't be here now." Mal paused, she didn't particularly want to talk about Harry to Ben, but seeing as he was coming here, that was what was on her mind. "Uma shared her food with me when my mother refused to feed me for being weak. Her mum owned a food place so it was easier for her to get access to food and she started working there when she was eight to earn her keep. Harry jumped into the ocean and saved my life when I was drowning. If he hadn't, I would have died."

Ben's sharp intake of breath stopped her in her tracks. "You almost died?" he questioned.

Mal nodded. "We found a way to get to the barrier without swimming. When I touched it, it sent me flying backward into the water. I couldn't swim and panicked. He jumped in and pulled me to shore."

He moved his hands up and down her arms before pulling her into a hug, one she returned. "I can't imagine you not being here now. Sounds like I owe him." He shook his head.

"It's fine, I'm fine, I'm right here," Mal soothed. "Perhaps we should stop talking about the Isle."

"No, I want to hear everything."

Mal leant her head on his shoulder and decided to continue, but she held back on a few of the details. She told him how she had coffee every morning and how it tasted, about school and all of the teachers there. She told him about her bedroom and some of the good and bad moments with her mother - leaving out the awful. She told him how Hook was a bit like a father to her, how he never minded her hanging around even though he wasn't keen on children too much. She told him nearly everything about her and Jay, how they used to race and climb together, how he was always better than her at that, and how he took care of her when she really needed it but that they were never really close. She told him how close she and Uma used to be, how they hung out and how much time they used to spend together. She told him why she pushed Uma aside and the pressure her mother put on her to do it. She only told him a bit about Harry but mainly when others were around. The last thing she remembered telling him was how thankful she was that her mother forced her to come to Auradon.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading! And thank you for all the support I've received through reviews, follows, faves!**

**I hope you all enjoyed this longer chapter! What do you think about Harry coming to Auradon? Will that change things between her and Ben? **


	10. Where is Harry?

**Where is Harry?**

* * *

Mal wrinkled her nose when somebody knocked on the door, rolling closer to the person next to her - Evie would get the door, she was always perky in the morning.

"Ben," Belle's voice came through as the door opened.

Mal's eyes shot open when somebody moved next to her and realised she had never returned to her room. Instead, she sat up to see a shocked Belle and Beast looking at her. She quickly checked the time as she pulled away from Ben and stood up. "Morning."

"Good morning, Mal," Belle replied cautiously as if working out what they had just walked in to.

"We fell asleep talking," Ben told them and Mal realised he had already crossed the room to his desk. "I've looked over the complaints made by dwarves about their cousins on the Isle and they want me to do something now that we're bringing the children over."

Mal cleared her throat, "talking about children on the Isle, I should get ready to go pick up the newest batch."

"One moment," Ben said, stopping her in her tracks. "I forgot to tell you. I have to go back to the castle."

"What?"

Beast stepped forward. "It's too difficult to cover everything we need to when it takes half an hour for us to see each other. Ben's falling behind."

Mal didn't have the heart to complain. Being the King was extremely important and so was the work he had to do. She would miss him so much. "I understand."

"I'll see you downstairs," Ben said, confusing her for a moment. "I'll come to the Isle with you to collect the children."

She nodded before looking at his parents. "Of course," she replied as she stepped towards the door. She looked over at Ben who threw her a smile before she left. The second she left the room, she took a breath.

"Ben, having a lady stay in your room overnight is not proper before marriage," she heard Beast say and quickly made her way back to her room, she didn't want to be involved in that conversation.

Unfortunately, when she got back to her room, she had Evie to deal with.

"Mal! There you are, we've been worried."

Mal looked at Evie then over to Jay and Carlos. "I'm fine," she said dismissively and walked over to her wardrobe. "I'm going to get changed now. See you in the limo in two hours."

Jay and Carlos shared a look with Evie before exiting the room.

"Okay, talk," Evie said, coming up beside her.

"I was with Ben all night," she answered and at Evie's expression elaborated; "we just talked until I fell asleep." She paused. "Then Belle and Beast walked into the room this morning and saw us."

"Oh my! What did they say?"

Mal turned to face her best friend. "They said good morning and I left as quickly as I could. I heard Beast telling Ben off as I left. I _will_ be avoiding Belle and Beast for a while."

Evie was laughing hysterically, covering her face with her hands. "I can't believe it. Were they angry?"

Mal couldn't help but laugh with her. "More shocked - very shocked."

"I wish I was there."

"Two women in the kings' bedroom overnight? Now that would be some gossip."

The two of them tried to hold back their laughter but couldn't. Mal could only imagine their expressions had the two of them not been fully dressed on top of the covers. Perhaps they wouldn't simply walk into his room once they were married. Mal instantly sobered up at that thought and cleared her throat - she and Ben weren't engaged so thinking about being married was a shock - she wasn't the romantic type. "Let's get ready," she said quickly grabbing the first outfit she got her hands on.

"Oh, no, you don't want to wear that one," Evie told her, taking the item from her hands and hanging it back up.

Mal sat down on her bed as she waited for Evie to tell her what she was going to be wearing today. It was a pretty normal occurrence now.

* * *

Mal was mostly ecstatic when Ben was able to come to the Isle to collect the new four VKs - and to join the other four VKs who were visiting their family. She was nervous, though. Harry and Ben in a confined space together didn't sound like a good idea, especially as Mal had only told Ben a portion of the relationship. She just hoped the two of them didn't utter a word to each other.

She waited for him to walk up to her in the halls and greeted him with a kiss. "I'm so happy you're coming!"

Ben grinned. "I wouldn't miss it," he said genuinely before adding; "and my Kingly duties include greeting every new VK."

Mal laughed and let him take her hand as they walked out of Auradon Prep to a loud and happy crowd surrounding them. The fact that Auradon was still willing to accept more VKs was outstanding and made her have hope that one day all of the children from the Isle would have the chance to grow up in a safe environment.

She stepped up onto the stage with Ben and continued forward, ready to get into the Limousine but was stopped by Fairy Godmother. "Stay here?" she questioned with a smile and stood back, continuing to wave at the crowd. Perhaps she forgot something.

"Bibbity Bobbity, one two, one two, can everybody hear me?" Fairy Godmother asked, igniting a cheer.

Mal must have forgotten something, as they don't usually use a microphone unless there's something planned. She searched her mind for what it may be and just hoped she wasn't asked to speak until she remembered or Ben reminded her.

Ben took the microphone and turned to the crowd. Mal zoned him out, he was just talking about the new arrivals and she clapped along with others. He instantly caught her attention when he faced her and Mal let him take her hand with a smile.

"Mal, this is the exact spot we first met, not so long ago. I feel like I've known you my whole life. But did I mention that I'm in love with you?"

Mal couldn't help by smile and giggle at him, especially when he started singing. She remembered the first time he had sung the song, how embarrassed she was to be in the spotlight, and here he was doing it again in such a loving way. True love, not fake love. She turned to look away from him to see the crowd all in love with the song as much as she was and turned back to Ben getting down on one knee.

A gasp left her as her hands came up to her face. Was he proposing to her? She couldn't believe it. She heard every word he said but at the same time, time seemed to stop. The world around them disappeared; it was just the two of them. There was no hesitation or debating in Mal's mind, just absolute surprise.

It took her a moment to be able to talk again.

"Yes!" she announced and watched in astonishment as he put the most perfect ring on her finger. Their lips connected and Mal felt like she was in heaven; she had found her soulmate and couldn't have been happier at this moment.

Unfortunately, they had to pull away from each other, but Mal was happy to share this amazing moment with her friends, family, and all of Auradon - it's a memory she'd never forget. She kept her arms around Ben for as long as she could before running to Evie. "Did you know?" she asked, wrapping her arms around her best friend.

"Everything," Evie admitted with a massive smile. "You are going to rock that crown."

Mal let out a one-syllable laugh, she hadn't even thought about the crown part, just Ben.

"Okay, so I've only done about a thousand sketches of your wedding dress and Belle's already planned an engagement party next week," she continued, singing the last word.

Mal turned to Ben's parents, her future parents-in-law. "Then it's a really good thing I said yes!" she commented with glee as she opened her arms to Adam.

"Hugs," he said embracing her. "Hi!"

"Hugs, hi," she repeated as she pulled back with a huge grin and turned to Belle for a hug too.

"I finally get a daughter!"

She saw her as a daughter? Those words were music to Mal's ears as she pulled back and looked at her. This was going to be her family.

"I love you, Belle," she said honestly. Belle was exactly like the mother she had always wanted and dreamt off, and Beast - though, she should really think of him as Adam - was as close to a father as she had ever had. He wanted her in his family, unlike her actual father.

"Oh, I love you," Belle replied, filling Mal with joy once more.

Mal moved onto Fairy Godmother who was waiting patiently to be embraced. Mal was simply in awe of everything, finding herself back against Ben before bantering with Carlos and Jay. She wished she could stay in this moment forever but they had to get back to business, she knew she and Ben would have time later to rejoice.

As she stepped to the side, wanting to simply enjoy the time, Audrey grabbed her wrist.

"Congratulations," Audrey said.

Mal was still grinning and let out a small 'thanks'.

"You won him fair and square. Oh, wait, no you didn't, you spelled Ben to destroy all of Auradon. A touching story for the grandkids."

Mal's face dropped, Ben had told her what happened? Another thing that stopped her from instantly smiling was that she had revealed a great deal of her past to Ben last night and he still proposed, her smile returned to her lips and she looked at Audrey who was looking very smug.

"That's behind us now. I've learnt to learn from my past to be a better person and I love Ben, I wouldn't hurt him."

Audrey gave her a dirty look before sauntering off.

Mal turned around and found Ben, taking his hand affectionately.

* * *

Mal couldn't stop smiling as she caught sight of either Ben or the ring. She was engaged. It was unbelievable. This was really happening to her; she was getting her happy ending with Ben and it simply filled her heart with an immense amount of joy and hope. She looked up at Ben and smiled again, leaning up to capture his lips with hers.

"Okay, enough with the lovey-dovey stuff," Jay said, breaking the two 'love-birds' apart. "We're nearly there and I doubt the VKs want to see _that_. I know I don't."

Mal laughed. "You're such a buzz-kill, Jay. Is it because Lonnie is about to leave for summer?"

"This has nothing to do with Lonnie."

Regardless of her small amount of teasing, Mal did release Ben's hand. She could understand that the VKs may not appreciate too much affection as they head towards Auradon, after all, it still wasn't that common on the Isle. She didn't want them to think it was expected of them to be this emotionally open - Mal would have recoiled from seeing this type of affection on her way to Auradon. "We'll avoid the lovey-dovey stuff, for now, Jay."

"Thank you."

It wasn't long until they pulled up to the Isle and all made their way out. Dizzy was already there, greeting them with a squeal and hugging Evie. Mal hoped she'd always remain this happy. Mal noticed the two brothers who would be joining them and made her way over them, she could feel Ben's presence beside her.

The boys looked up at her, the younger one with wide eyes. "Nate and Nathan right?" she asked as she dropped down to be at the same level as them.

"I'm Nate," the younger one said with a grin before surprising Mal with a hug. "I'm so happy to be going to school with you!"

Mal smiled, hugging him back with one arm before pulling back. "I'm so glad you're coming as well."

Nathan smiled and shook Ben's hand.

"Felicity is excited too, as she's my age. Will we be in the same class?"

Mal looked over to Ben. "Yes, you two will have a lot of the same classes together," Ben answered.

Nate let out a small cheer and looked at Nathan. "What about Nathan?"

Nathan looked a little worried at his name being mentioned.

"Nathan will be in a different class, but you two will be sharing a room."

"Okay."

Mal looked at Ben and could almost sense what he was thinking. They had tried the past two times to keep the children's ages similar, the first four were all within a year of each other, the second patch had the boys together and the girls together, however, even if Mal had followed through with the choosing a girl the same age as Felicity, Nathan would still be alone in all of his classes. That is something they will need to discuss going forward.

"Did you hear that," Nathan suddenly said. "We get to share a room!"

Nate's expression instantly perked up. "Really? I'm going to tell Dad!"

"How long do we have?" Nathan asked, looking between Mal and Ben.

"Just over an hour," Mal answered, smiling at him.

Nathan nodded and ran off, straight back to his Dad.

"He seems nervous," Mal said to Ben to which he nodded in agreement.

* * *

Nearly an hour later, with just fifteen minutes before they were set to leave, Mal was getting a little bit worried. All of the VKs had made an appearance except Harry. Her nerves were almost relieved when Hook showed up which dwindled when the older male admitted he didn't know where Harry was.

"I'll go find him," Mal assured Hook. Even though he wasn't the most hands-on parent and often preferred to not be disturbed; he did actually care about Harry. That was evident. He, for the most part, had been around when they were children. Sure, he mainly told them to get lost, but he never actually hurt Harry, ever.

"Do you know where he is? I've checked everywhere I could think of," Hook said. "He needs to go to Auradon."

Mal nodded. "I have a few ideas."

Mal walked off, not bothering to let the others know she was going, she knew they'd wait for her. Besides, she didn't want to deal with one of them trying to come with her. As she walked she ruled out all of the places that Hook would've checked and tried to work out why he would be hiding. She looked down as she stood on something - just a hat - and noticed her engagement ring. Realisation filled her - maybe that had triggered something.

Mal maintained her direction and checked two places before taking a gamble and going to the cliff. She had mostly refused to go back here after almost drowning, but it seemed to be a safe haven for Harry as nobody knew about it. There were a handful of times she made the journey down there again, usually when she was looking for Harry. The last time they were in the location they had a huge argument, it was three months before she had left and it had been ugly.

"_Harry!" Mal yelled as she confronted him, pushing him against the rock behind him. "You are a jackass!"_

_Harry's look darkened. "He had it coming to him! Next time I'll cut off his fucking hands for touching you!"_

_Mal's blood boiled. "You do not dictate my life! If I want to make out with somebody else, I will!" _

_Harry growled. "Really? Gail Grumplestock. You're telling me you wanted him to touch you."_

_Mal returned his growl. She was conflicted because he was right, she was about to throw Gail into the wall. "I am not your property, Harry! We are not together! I will fight my own battles, I'm not and I never will be a damsel in distress!"_

"_You seemed in distress," he retorted. _

_Mal huffed and turned away from him, grabbing a hold of a rock to pull herself up the cliff and leave, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She turned and decked him, the sound of his jaw cracking against her fist was loud. "What don't you understand about not controlling me!"_

_Harry's hand went for her neck as he held her against the cliff wall harshly. "You are mine, Mal! I don't care what others think, you are mine!"_

"_No I'm not," she breathed through gritted teeth and pushed against his chest - he didn't relent his hold. "This, us, it can never happen! We're on opposite teams."_

"_I don't care," he huffed, releasing her neck enough so that she could breathe properly. "Let's be together. I l-"_

_Mal brought her hand up to his lips. "Don't," she warned cruelly before pushing him away. She maintained eye contact for a while before being the first to break it. She couldn't do this. Their connection was making her weak. "Keep your emotions in check, pirate," was the last thing she said before climbing back up the cliff, this time, Harry didn't stop her. _

Mal remembered the nasty bruise that tarnished his face for the next few weeks, and that it only took them three days before they'd met up again under better circumstances.

With a breath, Mal made her way down the cliff to him. He was sitting on a rock with his bare feet in the ocean. He didn't even look up when she walked over to him.

"You're going to be late," she said, making him scoff.

"Time-keeping is weak."

"Harry," Mal said warningly. It was a tone she hadn't used in a long time.

Harry stood up, easily towering over her. "What? Scared I'm going to miss you and Ben being all over each other? What's the point of me even going to Auradon?"

Mal had to take a breath before she responded. "To have a second chance at a better life."

He scoffed. "I don't want to go anyway."

"Liar." The two of their eyes connected, his bright blues with her soft green. This conversation had occurred before but in reverse. "You've always wanted to get off the Isle, Harry. Let's go."

"We were going to get off together. Once we were off the Isle, nobody could stop us being together, remember? We were going to rule together. You turned your back on me and straight into the arms of _Prince Ben_."

"That's not how it happened."

"Really, how long did it take before you completely forgot about me?"

"I never forgot about you, Harry!"

When he didn't reply, Mal realised that they had been yelling at each other, both of them angry beyond reason. Mal wasn't even thinking about her words and just admitted she was still thinking about Harry.

"Just get in that limousine."

He turned away from her.

"Harry! Get in the limousine!"

He ignored her, once again. She took a breath to calm herself down, he was really working her up - how'd he do it so easily? In a swift movement, she reached forward and grabbed his hook, quickly creating space. That got his attention.

"Give it back!"

"Get in the limousine!" she retorted instantly, watching his angered look. "Don't let your hatred stand in the way of your dreams! You've always wanted to get off the Isle!"

Harry held out his hand for his hook.

"Get your shoes on, I'll meet you at the limousine," Mal said before starting to climb the cliff with his hook. She paused and looked down. He had plenty of time to grab her and pull her back down, he could have easily taken the hook back off her. She watched him glaring at her for a minute before continuing up the cliff. After she got to the top she took a breath; she wasn't used to climbing anymore, she really needed to practise more.

Deciding to not look back, she walked back to where they were supposed to meet. She instantly made her way to Hook, deciding that he was the best to see seeing as she was officially late getting back and could tell that they had been worried.

"He's on his way," she told Hook.

Hook bowed his head in thanks and raised an eyebrow at the hook in her hand.

"He needed some motivation."

Hook pulled her into a hug, one which she returned. "Look after him out there, he's been through a lot."

Mal closed her eyes for a moment before nodding. "I will." She pulled back and opened her eyes. She offered him a smile before indicating him to turn around, Harry was storming over to them. At least he had his bag with him that he packed yesterday.

She took a step back and walked over to Evie. "Everybody set?"

"Where were you?" she asked, looking over to Harry who seemed to be arguing with his father.

Mal took a breath but thankfully, Ben coming over meant she didn't need to answer. "Are you okay?"

She smiled at him. "I'm fine Ben. Sorry, I'm a bit late."

"It's fine, I'm just glad you're here now."

"Everybody ready?"

Ben nodded. "Just waiting for you and Harry."

Mal took a step back and ushered Evie into the limousine before sliding in herself followed by Ben. Harry joined them a few minutes later, sitting the furthest away from Mal and Ben as he physically could.

Mal sighed, she may regret her decision to bring Harry. "Next time, we should bring the new VKs back at a different time than the visiting VKs."

Ben looked around and nodded. The twins were in the front with Jay. Calia and Dizzy were on the opposite end of the limo with Harry, then down the side had the other three new VKs and Carlos. Finally, nearest to the doors were Evie, Ben, and Mal. They couldn't even fit one more person if they tried. "Good idea."

Mal shifted when Evie turned around and waved to those they were leaving behind. Usually, Mal would participate but she was returning Harry's glare. As they got onto the bridge, she threw him his hook without saying a word - though, she did get a few confused looks. Nobody was able to question it though as Evie spoke.

"It's Hades! Stop the car! He's trying to escape!" she exclaimed, panic filling her voice.

The second the car stopped, Ben and Evie jumped out, Mal followed them and noticed the Jay and Carlos had come out too. Evie turned around and kept the others in the car, including Harry.

"I am a God! I don't belong here!"

Mal stayed back as the three males ran forward, presumably to push Hades away from the forcefield and into the Isle. She gasped as with a wave of his hand, he sent blue lasers at them, sending them to the ground. Were they hurt? She wasn't sure.

Then he looked at her. She hadn't seen him in years. She barely registered Harry stepping out of the car as she felt her magic consume her, right before she transformed into a dragon. Her father had obviously not expected that.

She knew she should fire at him, to stop him from escaping, but hesitated. Could she hurt her father? Suddenly, he used the blue lasers on her, but instead of being fired back as she had expected, she felt a pull. He was magically binding them, taking her magic.

Mal was at a loss but listened to her friends and sent a flameless breath at him, pushing him back and allowing the barrier to close fully, trapping him inside it without his powers.

Instantly, feeling weaker, Mal transformed back into her self and landed, letting Evie and Ben hold onto her as she made eye contact with her Dad. She couldn't believe he had attacked her.

"Are you okay?" Evie asked her.

"No," Mal admitted, shaking her head but keeping her eyes solely on her Dad. "He was draining all my magic with that ember and I felt all of my powers draining away."

"You're safe," Evie said, rubbing circles on her arm. "He's back where he belongs."

"For now," Mal uttered and watched as her father turned his back on her again and walked off.

She was guided back into the limousine and sat between Ben and Evie again. She was conscious of the fact that Jay had requested for her to not be too lovey-dovey and rested her head on Evie's shoulder. Mal just felt so tired, so _drained_. So much so that the journey back was a blur. She could feel the vibrations coming off Evie as her blue-haired friend spoke but wasn't listening to what she said.

The second they got back to Auradon Prep, Mal got out the car with Ben and took his hand. "I'm tired," she whispered to him.

"Can you three sort out the tour? I'm going to take Mal to lie down," Ben asked the other original VKs who instantly agreed. He then moved his arm around her waist and led her into the castle, just the two of them.

Mal let him lead her without hesitation, staying close to him because she honestly felt faint. She could have asked Evie to take her back to her dorm but she wanted to be close to Ben right now.

"Dad," Ben spoke, making Mal force herself to pay attention. They were almost at Ben's dorm.

Beast was in front of them in seconds. "Hi Son, are you both okay?"

"We're fine, Mal…" he hesitated, clearly unsure of how to phrase it. "Got hit rather bad."

Mal looked up and saw the concern in Beast's face, she released Ben and gave him a hug, a rather tight and long hug. She wanted to say something, how he was like a father to her, but couldn't. Whenever she thought about that, her actual Dad popped into her head and she couldn't help but let all of the feelings flooded her system. At one point, she had been convinced he'd never hurt her, she even challenged him, but now… now she wasn't sure.

When she pulled back, she quickly brought a hand to her face in realisation that she was crying. "I'm sorry," she muttered, even her voice was weak.

Ben was instantly at her side, one arm around her waist, the other holding her hand. It was then she realised how much she was shaking. Beast was holding her other hand and she allowed them to lead them into his room and onto the bed.

Mal had enough clarity in her mind to think: Where was Belle? It was rare to see the two apart, and surely she shouldn't be getting onto his bed after being caught spending the night mere hours ago - didn't Beast say that wasn't proper?

Those thoughts didn't last long enough to keep her awake, the second her head touched the pillow in the safety of those she loves, she fell into a much-needed sleep.

* * *

**A/N: I'm getting excited about what is going to happen in the next few chapters. **

**Did you all like this chapter? What do you think of Ben leaving Auradon Prep right as Harry is coming? **


	11. Tiredness, Reluctance, and a Missing Ben

**Tiredness, Reluctance, and a Missing Ben?**

* * *

Mal took in a deep breath as she brought her hand up to her face, stifling a yawn. She still felt drained. She sat up and looked around the darkened room; it was night time and she was alone. This was the first time she had been alone in Ben's room.

She slipped her legs out of the side of the bed and stood up, smoothing her dress down - hopefully, Evie wasn't too upset about the creases in it.

As much as she was tempted to look around his room, she crossed it directly to his door and opened it.

"Lady Mal," a guard spoke instantly, making her jump. "I'll alert King Ben that you've awakened."

Mal had to blink a few times to adjust to the light out there and the fact that there was a guard outside his door. She knew that Ben always had a guard nearby since he was King but she'd never had one. Or did they always guard this room? "What time is it?"

"2:13 a.m."

"Wow," she muttered before realisation hit her. She hadn't eaten all day yesterday. She woke up in Ben's bed, instantly got ready, got engaged, went to the Isle, got attacked by her Dad, came back and was asleep shortly afterwards. "Could you tell him that I'll be in the kitchen, I'm starving."

"No need, Lady Mal, I'll have something brought up for you. Please wait in the King's room."

Mal looked up at him, her first instinct was to reject what he said but that wouldn't be very lady-like. Instead, she nodded and thanked him before returning to the room. She turned the light on and slowly walked around. She looked at the wall-paper which seemed a very bland shade of cream and so unlike Ben, then wandered over to the single piece of gym equipment in his room - why he had it, she was unsure about. She knew there was a gym in school that they all had access to.

She stopped as Belle and Beast walked into the room, followed by Lumiere with a tray of food.

"Mal, how are you feeling?" Belle asked, crossing the room to her.

Mal allowed herself to be hugged, returning it for a moment before pulling back, a soft smile on her face. "I'm okay, just tired and hungry."

Beast guided her to sit down at Ben's desk and took the tray from Lumiere to place it in front of her.

"I'm sorry if I scared you," she said quietly, looking at the buttered toast, strawberries, cream, and orange juice.

"We are just glad you're okay," Belle told her softly. "What happened?"

Mal looked up, silently debating with herself whether or not to reveal her parentage; would them knowing Hades was her father change anything? Would they still support her if they knew she was the daughter of the God of the underworld? There were too many bad scenarios that ran through her head which made her decide to remain quiet at that bit. "When I went up against Hades… I felt like he was using his ember to drain out all of my powers."

The two adults shared a look. "Is that why it took you so long to fight back?"

Mal slowly nodded. "That and he's-"

Her words got stuck in her throat as Ben came rushing into the room straight to her side. Unlike his parents, he looked like he literally threw on clothes, whereas they were fully dressed. "You're awake, are you okay?"

"I'm just tired, Ben, nothing to worry about. A few strawberries and a good night's sleep and I'll be fine, I promise."

Ben ran a hand over her back. "Are you sure?"

Mal nodded and took a bite of a strawberry, no longer feeling as hungry as she had a few minutes ago. She glanced at Beast and Belle who gave her a smile when they noticed - she was thankful they didn't ask her to continue in front of Ben because she knew she couldn't finish that sentence. Even though she had decided to not tell them Hades was her father, she almost had. That alone told her she needed to go back to bed.

She picked up a piece of toast and stood up. "Thank you," she said softly. "I'll head back to my dorm, but we can talk tomorrow?" she said to Ben before glancing at his parents. The two adults nodded.

"I'll walk you back to your dorm," Ben insisted, taking her free hand.

Mal nodded and bid goodnight to Belle and Beast before walking out with Ben. When he started to talk, she began to eat the toast. Thankfully, he wasn't asking any questions, just talking to fill the silence - she appreciated that. It's like he knew she wasn't in a talking mood.

They paused outside her room and bid each other a more intimate goodnight before she went into her room. Mal quickly rid herself of the dress she was wearing and slipped on some comfortable pyjamas before climbing into bed silently and letting herself fall back to sleep.

* * *

Mal scrunched up her nose and pulled the covers over her face as a knock on the door woke her up. Evie would get it.

"Hey Doug," her roommate's voice spoke in a hushed tone.

"Hi… why are you whispering?"

"Mal's still asleep, I don't want to disturb her."

"Are you ready for class?"

Mal waited for Evie's response, but nothing came, after a few seconds the door closed. Curiosity got the best of her and she uncovered her face. Evie had left.

Mal grabbed her phone and noticed that it was almost time for class. Why hadn't Evie woken her up? Mal sighed as she realised the reason. She was weak. She had let her Dad gain the upper hand on her and drain her magic.

She took a deep breath and slipped out of the bed. She no longer felt drained but wasn't fully back to normal. That could be from the lack of food. Mal wasn't the type of person to hide away in her room, so she went to her wardrobe, grabbed a random casual outfit and got ready. She opened her side drawers and got out a breakfast bar - she had a habit of pocketing these for emergencies any time she saw them. They often came in useful.

Checking the time, Mal quickly exited her room and made her way to check the dorms to make sure everybody had already left, otherwise, they'd be late. All of the girls were gone, the two brothers were gone, but Harry wasn't. Jay looked frustrated outside of the pirate's room and gave Mal a weird look when she walked up to him.

"What's going on?"

Jay huffed. "Ask him."

Mal looked over at Harry who was dressed but lying on his bed. "I'm not going!"

"You got to go to class, I'll get Harry to class."

Jay looked at her reluctantly but nodded and left.

Mal watched Jay walk off before walking into the room and sitting on the unowned second bed. "Goodness 101 is an important class, Harry," she started, knowing why he was refusing. "They talk about the rules here at Auradon that we would have no idea about. It also gives them peace of mind and gives us the power to invite more children over from the Isle."

Harry glared at her, she didn't even try to decipher it. "It's a joke."

"Somebody hands you a crying baby, do you A, curse it, B, leave it, C, give it a bottle, or D, carve out its heart?"

Harry gave her the strangest look she's ever seen on his face. "Leave it, duh."

Mal offered him a small knowing smile. "Wrong."

"That was a stupid question!"

She shook her head. "Harry, it's the class they care about the most. If you refuse to go to it, I might not be able to stop them sending you back to the Isle."

"Fine, send me back! See if I care," Harry snapped.

Mal instantly stood up and grabbed his bag and began to pack it. "Fine, come on. We'll take you back now then." She opened a drawer, empty, before moving to the wardrobe to see he had actually unpacked his small amount of belongings. "Come on, let's take you back then!"

Harry frowned at her and stood up threateningly. He snatched her bag and threw it into the wardrobe. "Fine, where's this stupid class?"

Mal smirked at him and headed for the door. "Glad you made that decision." He rolled his eyes and fell silent. Mal was tempted to talk the whole way but decided against it. She didn't want to push his buttons too much. She knew it would take him time but he'd eventually find his place here and could have his second chance, he just had to stop being a sudden prick.

She walked into the room and gave Fairy Godmother a big smile, quickly checking that Harry followed her in. "Good morning. My apologies that Harry is late."

"That's okay dear, please, take a seat."

Harry dropped down into the seat closest to the door and instantly crossed his arms.

Mal threw him a smile before walking out of the room before checking her phone. Her eyebrows raised when she realised how many texts she had, she noticed the majority of them were from Ben and decided to simply find him instead of reading and replying to them - she wasn't all that keen on her phone anyway. She pocketed it and headed to his room.

* * *

Mal had been correct in predicting where he would be, she hadn't expected Belle and Beast to be there too though, or for the door to be open.

"Son, it is something you need to think about."

"No, Dad, it's not."

Mal cleared her throat and knocked on the door, not wanting to eavesdrop on the conversation - Ben had a habit of telling her most things anyway. All three occupants in the room turned to face her.

Ben crossed the room instantly and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Mal nodded and let him lead her into the room. She didn't fail to notice him closing the door. "I'm good. What's going on?"

Belle placed a hand on her shoulder with a smile. "You're looking a lot better."

Mal smiled in return to her.

"Opening and closing the barrier repeatedly has already caused issues. Uma escaped and is currently on the loose, and Hades almost escaped. I'm imploring Ben to explore all options of how to keep Auradon safe."

Ben shook his head. "Opening and closing the barrier is always going to come with risks, Dad, we just need to keep vigilant. Hades didn't escape."

"But he could have," Mal spoke, her voice soft. "I almost wasn't able to fight him back. If he escaped, I don't know if I'd forgive myself if he hurt any of you," she said, looking around at each of them. The thought of her father hurting anybody she loved made her sick to the stomach. "The only way to ensure Auradon's safety would be to limit going to the Isle… only opening it when we need to put somebody in and not…" she trailed off as a betrayed look made its way onto Ben's face and she instantly felt bad for verbalising her thoughts.

He turned away from them and stepped away, crossing over towards the window to look at the Isle.

It wasn't what she wanted, closing off the Isle, but Mal couldn't think of another option at the time, she didn't have any experience with this sort of thing. "Ben," she breathed out as she followed him, taking his hand. "I don't want to take away your dream because it is _beautiful_ and one of the reasons I fell in love with you. I just think that for now, we don't have a choice."

"She's right, son," Beast said, supporting her words.

That didn't seem to help and Ben looked like he was about to cry.

Mal glanced at her future parents-in-law before looking back at Ben. "We don't need to make the final decision now, nobody is planning on going back to the Isle for a while. We can all think it over, see if there are any other options, or not."

That seemed to calm Ben down and he nodded as he took her hand in his. She looked down when he started to play with her engagement ring and it made her heart stop for a moment. She wasn't sure what he was thinking but every time she saw the ring she remembered that he accepted her.

"I love you." He spoke softly.

Mal smiled. "I love you," she replied in kind.

Adam cleared his throat behind them and they both gave him their attention. Mal had half expected Ben's parents to excuse themselves, but he didn't. "We should discuss the current VKs."

"The four new, and Celia, are all currently in goodness 101. I checked on them before here. Dizzy has a study period now, and the twins are in science," she paused and realised that wasn't what he meant. If they closed the barrier, what would the VKs think? Mal didn't want to think about that right now. "Jay and Carlos are in class but Evie is working on some new designs with Doug during his free with Fairy Godmothers' permission to miss class this morning. She's also available to help if any of the new VKs have any trouble - as am I. The boys have this afternoon off."

Belle smiled at her. "That is very good planning."

"You're going to make a great Queen," Ben whispered into her ear and that was when she realised how close he was to her. She couldn't help but flush a little bit, Mal had never been one for public displays of affection, but Ben surely was. Even she had to admit the way he proposed was perfect.

Belle's hand made its way to the crook of Adam's elbow. "We'll catch up with you later."

Adam looked like he wanted to carry on talking but nodded and led his wife out.

Mal instantly turned her attention to her fiance - oh that felt good to think about - and he dipped his head down, pulling her into a long kiss.

* * *

Mal had made sure to get to Goodness 101 a few minutes early and glanced through the door. Everything appeared fine. Fairy Godmother waved her in and she smiled.

"How did it go?"

"Fantastic, these are a great bunch of children," she beamed.

Mal smiled again. "I'm glad to hear."

"Is there anything I can help you with dear?"

"I was going to make sure they all knew where to find their next class, first day and all," Mal replied easily - after all, it was the truth. That and she wanted to make sure Harry actually attended class.

Fairy Godmother smiled widely. "That's a great idea. I'll end the class a few minutes early. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Mal realised that meant she was supposed to take over, she turned around and approached Felicity who had her timetable out. "Science," she commented looking over her shoulder. "Same as Nate, right?"

The other eight-year-old old nodded. "Celia, could you show them to their class? And I'll take Nathan and Harry?"

Celia nodded. "Fine."

The three of them walked out as Harry took his sweet time standing up. "What do I have?"

"Gym," Mal answered. "We'll drop Nathan on at creative technology on the way."

"Creative technology?"

Mal nodded. "Fancy word for art, it includes; sewing, painting, drawing, cooking and things like that. You only need to take it for a few months before you actually choose what you want to do. It's like a taster month."

Harry looked insanely put off about the idea of creative technology but thankfully did not comment.

"How are you liking things so far?"

Nathan beamed at being talked to directly. "It's great! Nate and I shared the bed though because they're so _big_! Can you imagine having that much space to sleep? And we woke up early and Carlos took us to get breakfast… there was so much food! Apparently, we can get that _every day!_ Thank you so much, Mal.. uhh… princess Mal… uhh Lady Mal?"

"Just Mal."

"Thank you, Mal! This is the best thing that has ever happened to me!"

Mal smiled at him. "I'm glad you're enjoying your time. How was your first class?" she asked, glancing back to check that Harry was following them.

Nathan's bright expression faltered. "It was confusing. So many questions and I didn't get them. Harry was really good at it though! The crying baby question he answered straight away!"

"Did he now?" she commented with a smirk thrown in his direction. "You'll get the hang of it, Nathan, that's why you're here, to learn."

He nodded quickly. "I know! And I promise I'll be better tomorrow."

Mal wanted to tell him not to put too much pressure on himself, but striving to do better was always encouraged here. "Well, here we are. You're a few minutes early so you can say hi to your teacher."

Nathan looked at Mal and then Harry before deflating and walking into the room alone.

"He's very confident with you. He refused to say a word in Goodness 101," Harry told her.

Mal had to hide her surprise and looked in to see Nathan had shut down and was silently sitting where she presumed he had been told to. "It'll take time," she replied before walking off, once again, checking Harry was following.

Harry took his time to move and then used his long legs to catch up and walk next to her. "So, where are you taking me?"

"You have gym now."

"Jim? Who's that."

"Not a who, it's your next class. It's sports." She rolled her eyes that he hadn't asked what gym was when she first mentioned it - she presumed it was because Nathan was there.

"In this?"

Mal turned her attention to him, he was wearing his leather trousers, white t-shirt with a black skull and long, red leather jacket. Not exactly sports attire. Mal was so used to seeing him like this that it hadn't even occurred to her that he'd wear anything different. In fact, she wasn't sure if a locker had been set up for him. "You should have a change of clothes in your locker. There are set sports attire for you."

"No."

"Yes."

"Mal-" he said, his tone becoming a warning.

"Harry," she replied in the same tone, the two of them facing off. She did not want to fight him about every single class. "Just wear what you want then. I'm sure they'll be flexible for your first day."

Harry seemed to accept this. "So many stupid rules. Turn up to class on time, attend every class, go to sleep at a set time, wake up in time. You know, Carlos didn't collect me for breakfast."

Mal stopped walking suddenly, her eyes wide. He turned to look at her. "That's because it's my job. I was supposed to collect you and take you to breakfast because-" she drifted off. "I'm sorry Harry."

"There's always tomorrow."

Him being understanding made things worse. "Technically, you still have lunch and dinner today, but that's not the point. Come on, we'll go to the kitchens. If you're not getting changed we still have some time."

Harry smirked. "Encouraging me to skip class? This seems right."

"We're not skipping," Mal corrected him before changing direction, him still staying with her. She knew at some point he'd disappear, she just hoped it wasn't when she was directly walking with him. That would be a difficult thing to explain. "How are you finding Auradon Prep?"

"Is Fairy Godmother always that… perky and annoying?"

Mal nodded, which made him groan. "You'll get used to it." Silence filled the corridor as they continued to walk. It was when they got to the kitchen, after he'd chosen cereal with fresh milk, that she continued to talk. "So… what did I miss on the Isle?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "Like you care."

"I care."

He scoffed. "Things have calmed down a lot since we were younger. Not as much violence, people are still looking out for themselves but the hope that they might leave the Isle has really changed them. They… smile more. It's creepy. Even the adults are hopeful that, after the children leave, they'd be given the chance to prove themselves too."

Mal had been looking into her own cereal bowl, having decided to eat as well, the thoughts of potentially closing the barrier forever at the forefront of her mind as he spoke. She looked up to see him looking at her. She let out a sigh. "I'm glad things are better over there." She then took a big spoonful of food.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing," she said between mouthfuls.

"Liar," he accused.

Mal shook her head. "I'm not lying, nothing is going on."

"Bullshit! I know when you're lying, Mal!"

She couldn't dispute that. "Let's just eat. It's not something I can discuss at this time."

Harry glared at her but continued eating. Mal knew he wasn't going to keep his silence, but one thing you learnt on the Isle - if you had the chance to eat, you did without any hesitation and didn't let anything distract you. The second his bowl was empty, he turned on her, closing the distance and forcing her to look at him. "Now spill."

A sigh left her. "They are thinking about limiting the number of times we go through the barrier," she said, mostly the truth. "So… it's very unlikely that the adult villains would ever be given a chance."

"There's more."

Mal looked away from him completely, attempting to turn away from him too but his hands held her arms, not letting her move. She found a way out of the conversation as her phone buzzed in her pocket. "My phone's going off," she said, pulling away and answering it. "Hello."

"_Hello darling, sorry I'm calling you."_

"That's fine. How can I help you, Belle?"

"_Is Ben with you?"_

"No."

"_Okay…"_

"Is everything okay?"

"_We're not sure. We are supposed to be leaving soon and he's not here. Where are you?"_

Mal hesitated and looked at Harry. "I'll come to you, just dropping Harry off at his next class."

"_Okay, we'll see you in Ben's office."_

Mal put her phone away after the call had ended. "Let's go, I have somewhere to be," she said, walking towards the door and waiting for him to follow before walking as quickly as she could. That was for a few reasons she was walking faster; the main being that something might have happened to Ben, the second being that she was revealing too much to Harry.

They got to the field, everybody was already congregating, including Jay who spotted them and jogged over.

"You need to get changed," he said stiffly.

"His locker hasn't been sorted out yet."

Jay didn't look happy. "Fine, come on."

Harry looked just as displeased as Jay but followed him regardless.

Mal watched them for a few moments before remembering about Ben and instantly taking off and into the building. She had barely gotten a few feet before her name was called.

"Mal."

"Ben! There you are," she said, accepting the hug and kiss from him. It felt longer than just half an hour ago that she last saw him. "Belle is looking for you."

He looked guilty. "I know."

"Skirting away from your Kingy duties?"

"What if I am?" he asked before gently pulling her into a small room. Mal looked around quickly, wondering what the bare room had previously been used for before looking back at Ben as he spoke. "What are you doing for the rest of the day?"

She raised a brow at him. "Class."

"Let's get away for the rest of the day," he said, completely ignoring that she was supposed to be somewhere. "We never got to celebrate our engagement and I miss you."

Mal brought her lips up to his for a few seconds. "I can't just skip class and ditch the new VKs. They're my responsibility, especially after ditching them yesterday. Besides, Belle is planning our engagement party, so we'll still be able to celebrate."

Ben kissed her forehead, he was being very affectionate right now. "Fairy Godmother would approve of you missing a few more classes and I'm sure Jay, Carlos, and Evie will be happy to help look after the VKs for you - they did yesterday."

She leant back, her hips still against his as he was still holding onto her and gave him a questioning look. "What is this really about?"

A caught-out look crossed his features. "I watched you sleep for a while last night before mum pulled me out. I was so scared that you weren't going to wake up, you were sleeping through everything. Hades almost took you away from me - I don't want to let you go."

Mal could've said that Hades would never have killed her to make him feel better, but she couldn't say that with confidence so she didn't bother. Also, it would raise too many questions. As she looked up into his eyes, she wasn't sure what to say; they both had responsibilities. "I love you."

Once again, his lips came down to hers. This time, she didn't break away and let her hands slide into his hair, holding him as close as he was holding her. She didn't even pull away when her phone began to buzz in pocket repeatedly. When she felt her back pressed against the wall, she realised this was the longest kiss they'd ever shared with each other and that made her fall even more into the kiss. She tugged at his collar when she thought he was going to step back because she didn't want the kiss to end yet.

Eventually, they pulled back, their foreheads touching as they both took deep breaths.

"You're vibrating," Ben whispered.

Mal slowly pulled her phone from her pocket and saw the caller ID. "It's your mother."

"Don't answer it," he breathed.

She looked up at him. "Sorry," she whispered before answering the call. "Hi, Belle. I've found Ben."

"_Oh, thank goodness!"_

"We'll be up in a few minutes." With the new information, Belle seemed highly relieved and the call ended shortly after.

"We will? What happened to disappearing?"

Mal brought her lips up to his for a short and sweet kiss before pulling back and sighing. "We can't just disappear, Ben. We both have responsibilities. Besides, you're not the Prince anymore, you're the King. Kings can't disappear."

Ben looked genuinely upset about her words but nodded and stepped back from her. She stepped towards him and quickly rubbed the purpley-pink lipstick off his face. He let out a laugh and neatened up his appearance before they made their way out of the room and up to his office.

* * *

Mal hadn't stayed with Ben for long once they arrived at his office. She wasn't sure what he was specifically avoiding there but his parents were not happy with him. Mainly because he left his phone and therefore was not contactable in an emergency.

She found herself wandering around the school aimlessly until lunch. "Hey Felicity, hello Poca," she greeted seeing the younger girls walking in first with the boys following behind.

"Good afternoon Lady Mal," Poca replied with a bow of her head before continuing to walk into the cafeteria with Felicity who mimicked Poca's actions and bowed her head.

Nate and the twins came in next, the three of them talking quietly amongst themselves with small smiles on their faces.

"Afternoon boys, how was class?"

"Weird," Nate answered.

Squirmy laughed. "It was good - we're going to do an experiment next week so this week is prep for it."

Mal nodded with a smile. "Sounds fun. Go grab yourselves come lunch."

"Come with us?" Nate asked.

With a smile, Mal accepted and walked over to the large selection of food. She opted for a cheese and coleslaw wrap, an apple, some strawberries, and some pure orange juice for today. She helped Nate to choose what to have as he was a bit overwhelmed and couldn't work out what he wanted. He ended up with a lot of fruit and two plain cheese wraps.

They sat down together and were slowly joined by all of the other VKs. Soon, it was only Felicity who had not joined their table.

When Evie had entered, she instantly made a bee-line for Mal to check on her before collecting her own food and joining them.

Eating with them all felt normal, but without Ben here she felt like part of herself was missing.

* * *

**A/N: Another long chapter for you all! **

**I'm not the best at naming each chapter... But they all need a name, right?**

**I hope you're all enjoying the longer chapters now! They'll probably be staying around this length for the rest of the story!**


	12. Against The Rules

**Against The Rules**

* * *

A lot seemed to happen over the next week with the VKs. Felicity drifted towards different students and Poca became a close friend to Squirmy, Squeaky, and Nate. The four of them were almost inseparable and constantly were found exploring the forest together. Nathan had made friends and tended to spend his evenings with them in the library. Celia had already been released from Goodness 101 - seemed she finally passed that - and spent most of her time with Dizzy and Evie.

Harry had refused to join any club, no matter who offered it to him, but would attend every class - mainly because Mal always escorted him. The two of them were spending a lot of their free time together either in the library or his dorm as he was having a lot of trouble understanding the classwork. It wasn't a big secret that he hadn't learnt to count correctly, nor that he still got the time wrong occasionally. On the Isle, none of that mattered, however, here at Auradon Prep, it did.

Thankfully for Harry, he generally refused to participate in classroom discussions and the teachers didn't pressure him to. However, it would soon be discovered how far behind he really was and Mal wanted to ensure he didn't feel singled out when approached and hoped she could help him close the gap quickly.

It was a normal Monday evening, studying after they had all been released from class. Even though Mal spent the first week of Harry being there studying, everything felt extremely weird after the weekend away to celebrate her engagement with Ben. Belle, true to her word, had planned a spectacular engagement party that saw many royals from around the world in attendance. As it was all done in such a short amount of time, Mal couldn't help but wonder if she was the only person in Auradon who hadn't known he was going to propose. She had simply chalked it up to the fact that she was born on the Isle and things were done differently there. Her friends only knew because Ben told them. So, she hadn't missed any signs.

The party was amazing. Evie had designed her the most beautiful purple gown with gold detailing. Perfectly combining her look with Bens' whilst completely keeping to Mal's unique style. Most of the party was spent socialising with the extensive guest list with Ben. However, towards the end, she found herself solely with Ben on the dance floor. After a while, they ended up swaying, then kissing, then just standing there in each other's embrace.

Nobody had disrupted them, even when midnight arrived and everybody else was escorted out of the room. Just being in his arms for that long was magical. The whole world washed away from them and she was at peace. They did end up parting and returning to their respective rooms. Their goodbye was sad; she didn't even like being away from him for a week and knew that it'd be even longer this time as she still had a few weeks of school and wasn't sure if either of them could visit one another during that time.

That's what made this Monday after school even more boring and slightly depressing. The knowledge that she wouldn't be seeing him for a while and had to still continue with school. It was honestly boring sometimes and she couldn't wait to graduate.

She was just about to call it an early night, yearning to do anything else at the moment, when Harry broke the silence.

"I have a test on Wednesday for science."

Mal's eyes snapped to his. "That's soon."

He nodded with a shrug. "Told me today."

Mal now understood why he was obsessed with science today. He primarily focused on his reading ability or homework instead of a specific subject during their library sessions. "What's the topic?"

"Atoms."

Sometimes she wished her and Harry shared more than just one class. It would be easier to help him that way. But, she was by no means a specialist at science and barely scraped by herself. "Perhaps we could ask Evie about that."

He looked at her, suddenly his eyes intense and boring into hers. "Why?"

"I'm not that good at science. I don't know where to start with atoms."

Harry instantly stood up, grabbing his hook from the table and looked furious. He was still rather quick to anger - mainly around her. "This is bullshit!" he exclaimed.

Mal jumped up at his loud language, after all, they were in a library. "Harry, quiet."

He scoffed and stormed out of the room. With a frustrated sigh, Mal followed him. So much for cutting out early. She had to jog slightly to keep up with him, she hated being short, and almost crashed into him when he suddenly stopped and turned, catching her and shoving her against the wall.

Mal didn't let her shock show as he leant into her, a sneer on his face. "I am _not_ asking Evie for help."

"If you don't ask her, then you'll fail for sure."

"I don't care."

She tried to shift but he just held her tighter in place, his hook digging into her skin painfully - she didn't react. "I just want to help you catch up."

"So I don't embarrass you," he growled.

Mal narrowed her eyes at him. "No."

He moved even closer; his look was menacing. "Yes. To prove that bringing me over was a good idea. And to prove that all of the Auradon pricks that villains can fit in with their stupid rules, that we don't all secretly hate them for the luxuries that they take advantage of when we've starved for _years_! They want us all to act as if we haven't had to fight for our lives since we were born, that we actually were taught the basics of all of these stupid subjects when we weren't." He paused to growl. "You've always been good at acting the part. Cursing me in public and loving me in private - what part are you playing now?"

"Harry," Mal started, trying to buy a little bit of time while she worked out exactly how to answer his question without antagonising him. However, she didn't have the chance as his lips crashed against hers. She hadn't expected it at all and made a mental note to not allow him to pin her back in the future. She pushed against his chest to get him off her but he wouldn't budge. She groaned out of annoyance pushed harder, this time he flew back into the wall opposite them, a green mist dissipating as she looked at him. "I'm with Ben!"

"Like you care," he growled, launching himself at her, his hand around her neck and squeezing tightly. He hadn't even flinched at her using magic against him. "I know you. If you really cared about him, you wouldn't have spent every evening with me, with no sign of the King. Seeing him for one day doesn't change the way I see you looking at me."

She tried to speak, to defend her actions. She was just trying to help Harry catch up and Ben was busy being the King. But he wasn't allowing enough air into her lungs for her to tell him so. She tried to will her magic to push him away again but even that was failing her.

"What we had doesn't just disappear. It can be our little secret again - that makes things more passionate," Harry spoke, a crazed look in his eyes.

"HEY!" a voice shouted.

Mal heard a few more shouts and feet running over to her before finally she had been released. She dropped to the ground, having not realised he had picked her up by the neck, and went to her knees as she regained her breath.

"Lady Mal, are you okay?" somebody asked her.

Mal looked up, still struggling to breathe properly and nodded. She realised that there were six students there, all in the year below her, and four of them were holding Harry.

"Thanks," she breathed out, squeezing her eyes closed. She used to be great at pain management, but it had been so long since she'd be hurt like this that her body was no longer used to it. That thought scared her. What would have happened if nobody had intervened? He wouldn't have killed her, right?

"What do you want us to do with him?"

"Let the guards take over."

Mal's eyes shot up at the sound of Fairy Godmother's voice and she saw Auradon guards taking hold of Harry, who was fighting every second of it. The second he was out of sight, Fairy Godmother dismissed the other students and bent down to her.

Mal didn't know what to say and so just closed her eyes as her head bowed in shame. She never should have let this happen. She didn't even look up when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

* * *

Mal refused to make eye contact with anyone since the incident, and it had been nearly an hour since it had occurred. No one had commented on the silent purple-haired girl who was closed off from the world. Not from what she could hear, anyway.

The only time Mal had spoken was when she had realised that they were about to get Evie, Jay, and Carlos, which Mal instantly stopped. She didn't want to deal with them right now. She wasn't sure how they'd react but knew Jay would want to kill Harry for it. Unfortunately, she had no say about Ben being informed and he was on his way. So now she was waiting for her fiance to turn up and was debating how much she had told him? He already knew about the near-strangling part, but should she tell him about the forced kiss?

Both things were highly prohibited in Auradon and she didn't want him to be sent back to Isle for this. It was normal behaviour over there and she should have talked him down. It was just as much her fault as it was his. Maybe a bit more his.

The door swung open, hitting the wall, and Mal knew it was Ben before he spoke.

"Mal," he uttered, instantly kneeling down at her side.

She looked up at him and their eyes connected. She felt her eyes prick with tears. His eyes flickered down to her neck and she knew by his expression that it was visibly bruised.

"I'm sorry," she muttered before resting her head on his shoulder and letting the tears flow freely. Why she hadn't cried until seeing Ben was beyond her. She let him hold her to him securely, pretending she didn't flinch at the first contact.

Mal remained in the embrace, her face completely hidden, and ignored everything going on around her until Belle's voice sounded.

"Where is the boy now?"

"He's been confined to his room," Fairy Godmother answered.

"He should have been sent straight back to the Isle!" Beast commented, his voice booming as usual.

Mal's head shot up, surprising Ben. "No!" she exclaimed, gaining everybody's attention, including the five guards that had accompanied them. A little excessive if you asked her. "It wasn't his fault."

"Mal, he tried to kill you," Ben spoke softly, moving from his position kneeling on the floor to the chair next to her, keeping his arms around her.

Mal connected their hands together. "He didn't try to kill me, he was just… intimidating me. I know it sounds just as bad but that was really normal on the Isle. A sorta… kill or be killed. This is his first act of violence here in Auradon that I know of. If all of the villain kids were sent back after one mistake, then we wouldn't stay here very long. Evie, Jay, Carlos and I would have been sent back from breaking into the museum after two days!"

"What?" Fairy Godmother asked.

"Right… you didn't know about that," Mal uttered guiltily. "But that's my point, it's difficult to adapt to Auradon; there are a lot of new rules and expectations."

Belle sighed and sat down on her other side. "It's a bit different. He attacked you personally."

"Well…" Mal knew she shouldn't be fighting so hard to keep him here, but she would do the same thing for any of the VKs, they all deserved this chance. "Wouldn't you call it an attack when I spelled Ben to fall in love with me when I first got here?"

Her future mother-in-law's eyes widened dramatically.

"Excuse me?" Beast asked.

"What are you referring to?" Fairy Godmother then asked.

Mal looked at Ben. "They don't know about that either," she muttered and quickly carried on talking to avoid Ben having to explain. "When I got here, I was hell-bent on getting your wand," she said, looking at the headmistress. "We broke into the museum in an attempt to steal it, that failed. I searched through my mother's spellbook which came up with nothing. Evie found out that you used it for Ben's coronation, which seemed like the best chance to grab it as we didn't have any luck getting through the barrier at the museum. Ben revealed that the people closest to him during it was you, his parents, and his girlfriend." She paused, her eyes flicking to Ben, he didn't actually know all of this. "So I created a love spell and gave it to him - really shouldn't have taken a cookie from a villain kid - and he instantly fell in love with me."

She noticed his parents giving Ben a look, as if wondering if he was still spelled, even though they knew he wasn't.

"The spell washed away on our first date in the enchanted lake, so the spell was only active for about a week. How was I not thrown back onto the Isle for doing that? When it was against the crowned prince?"

"If we had known, we probably would have," Beast said, though his admission was reluctant.

Mal fell silent, she couldn't think of anything else to say on the matter. Especially as Ben had stilled beside her as she revealed the whole truth. She looked down at their joined hands, glad he hadn't pulled away from her. Her past evils were starting to catch up with her.

"Dad," Ben replied, almost instantly defending her.

"It's true, son."

"I wouldn't have allowed it."

"You weren't King then. I was. I wouldn't have given you the choice." Adam's voice was just above a whisper.

"Listen," Belle's soft voice broke the tension. The room went eerily quiet for a few moments. "We know that you two are in love and are really glad that we didn't know about the spell because I can't imagine anybody else as my future daughter."

Mal looked up and returned the smile.

"We need to think this all through. Mal is right. If we kicked Harry out on his first mistake, then we will just create fear with the other villain kids - that a mistake could get them kicked out. Auradon Prep is supposed to be a safe place, and even though Harry broke that today, we shouldn't judge too quickly."

Ben's thumb started to create circles over hers before he spoke. "What do Evie, Jay, and Carlos think about it?"

Mal bit her lip before shrugging.

"Let's call them in," he decided. Mal knew that she couldn't override his decision on this, but she feared what they'd say or think right now.

Once again, she found herself waiting anxiously for more people to turn up and find out about the attack. Why couldn't it all just be kept a secret? She focused entirely on playing with Ben's fingers, zoning out the conversation they were all having. She had said her piece and had nothing else to add. Especially as her throat was killing her and she'd revealed a lot of secrets in a short time.

She came back to reality as Ben leant closer before he spoke. "Are you okay?" She nodded silently. "Did you want to come back to my castle for a few days? Or until the bruises on your neck heals?"

Mal looked at him, the sincerity in his voice almost made her say yes. "What about class?"

"We'll get you a tutor for what you miss. That's what I do," Ben answered. She had been wondering about that.

Her hand came up and caressed his cheek. Merely hours ago she would have done anything to get back to Ben and his castle but she wasn't sure she liked the idea of running away at the moment. She was about to ask him for a bit of time to think when sudden knocking on the door interrupted them and Evie came through the door. "Are you okay?" she instantly said, foregoing the others and straight over to her. "I heard you were hurt? What happened?"

"Harry," Mal answered shortly.

Evie's eyes widened. "Why would he hurt you?"

Mal gulped, the burning in her throat persisted - she knew she should ask for water but didn't want to dismiss Evie. "He got angry."

"Over you and Ben?" Jay asked.

"Why would he be angry about them?" Carlos asked.

Mal closed her eyes and looked down, leaning her head on Ben's shoulder, and was surprised when she heard Ben answer for her. "Because they used to be together on the Isle."

"No they didn't," Evie corrected softly. "They hated each other. Sure they were friends for a while, but they hated each other for years before we came here."

"Actually," Jay began, seeming to hesitate. "They snuck around everybody's backs right until the end." Mal's eyes widened as she looked at him, imploring him to stop talking right there - he didn't. "They were in love and just pretended to hate each other."

How did he know all of that? In her surprise, she missed the chance to dispute it, and felt Ben pull away from her. "You were in love with him?"

"No!" she instantly replied, her voice higher than usual. "No," she said, more normally. "We sought comfort in each other but we weren't in love. I'd known him since I was four. We were close, but we weren't in love."

Jay, thankfully, didn't comment any further. Though, they both knew she was lying to a certain extent. But she was never _in_ love with Harry, but she couldn't deny that she did love him.

Evie rested her hand on Mal's knee, gaining her attention. Their eyes connected as a silent promise that they'd talk later before the blue-haired girl stood up. "What's going to happen to Harry?" she asked, clearly moving the conversation on. This is why Mal loved her.

Fairy Godmother moved forward, obviously taking charge of the situation now. "We asked you all to come here for your opinion on the matter. We understand that this was normal Isle of the Lost behaviour and do not wish to discriminate someone because of their past."

"You're thinking about sending him back to the Isle," Evie spoke, understanding what was going on.

"Do it. He's vile," Carlos grunted.

Mal stood up. "I'll leave you to discuss," she muttered and headed for the door but was stopped with a strong hand on her arm, making her flinch. She instantly hated herself for it - it was definitely visible if somebody was watching her - which she knew most of them were.

Jay released her when she looked up at him and took off the scarf he was wearing, handing it to her without saying a word. Mal accepted it and wrapped it around her neck before walking off. She paused outside the door and looked at more guards - how many did they bring? Mal ignored it when two followed her as she walked down the halls and headed to the kitchen. She grabbed two bottles of water before going outside and sitting on a bench.

* * *

Mal made her way back to her room about an hour later as it was nearing curfew and found it empty - Had Evie not returned yet? She sighed and sat on her bed with her science book, deciding to revise. Besides, she couldn't sleep knowing the guards were standing outside of her room.

Another hour past before Evie arrived, she had missed curfew. The blue-haired girl kicked off her shoes and climbed into bed with Mal, both of them sitting up leaning against the headboard.

"What was decided?"

"Harry is going to be given a second chance and will be under the supervision of Jay instead of you," Evie answered.

Mal nodded. "Jay hates him."

"I'm sure the feeling is mutual."

Evie was right about that. "I've made such a mess of things, haven't I?"

Evie's arm came around her slowly in a half hug. "You haven't done anything wrong."

Mal let out a scoff and quickly regretted it. Stupid throat. "I shouldn't have chosen Harry, he wasn't a suitable candidate to come here. We all had agreed to bring the younger children to give them a chance earlier than we had… they were just all so young. I didn't want the older children to miss out simply because of their ages and in the end made a stupid decision. I'm paying for it now. Ben's gonna hate me."

"Ben loves you, and he was the one who made the final decision to let Harry stay," Evie told her, making Mal look at her in surprise. "He told us about Harry saving your life when you nearly drowned. Everybody has good inside of them."

"I can't believe he told you all that," Mal said, feeling mildly betrayed.

"If he hadn't, Harry would be back in the Isle by now. Attacking the King's fiancee is a really big deal. If a normal student… say Chad… had caused those bruises on your neck, he would have been kicked out of school at the very least. And they would discuss sending him to the Isle or something similar."

Mal looked at her as if she was crazy. But Evie's look told her that she knew that was certain; they must have discussed it after she had gone. "I keep forgetting about being engaged to the King. He's just Ben to me… and sometimes I just feel like the girl from the Isle." Silence filled the space between them for a few moments before Mal broke it. "Where's Ben?"

"He went back to his castle," she answered. "He wanted you to go too, but I told him we needed a bit of girl time."

"Thanks."

Evie gave her a smile. "You're welcome. Now talk."

Mal let out a laugh, it was only a matter of time before Evie tried prying out all of the information. Mal knew that she couldn't keep all of her past hidden, but the amount of her past that was a secret to nearly everybody was excessive. She had told Ben a bunch of things, but most of them were normal Isle matters and any of the VKs would defend her. However, there were things that she didn't even know Jay knew about. Mal reached over and took a few gentle sips of water. "I'm not talking all night, my throat does hurt."

Evie's expression darkened instantly and moved Jay's scarf from her neck. "I wanted Harry sent back to the Isle."

Mal sighed but didn't change her mind about telling Evie some secrets. "Harry…" she drifted off, trying to find the words. "...and I were very close. And I did love him." Evie gasped. "He loved me too. We confessed the week before I came to Auradon. For the longest time, I had thought that Harry and I would simply end up together, perhaps have a child together and keep my mother away from them, live on ship or something. It just made sense, him and I were so close."

"As close as you and Ben?"

"Emotionally, no. While I did love Harry, I am _in love_ with Ben. But physically… Harry and I were each other's firsts."

"Kiss?"

Mal looked down and tried to think of how to word it. "Sex. Harry and I had sex on a number of occasions, and Ben and I haven't. That's something that happens after marriage here."

Evie was stunned to silence. Sure, sex was not uncommon on the Isle at all, but the two of them had been friends since they were thirteen and were now best friends. Finding out that you didn't know something this big was a lot to take in.

"Ben doesn't know."

"He loves you."

Mal nodded. "I know, but everything in my past is catching up and I don't know if he can take it all."

Evie shook her head. "That doesn't matter. How much have you told him about your life on the Isle."

"A lot… we spent hours talking about it a while back… but there's still so much more that he doesn't know and I don't know how he'd react. I don't know how you'd react."

"Try me," she challenged.

Here goes nothing. "I know who my father is."

Her best friend's eyes widened again. "Who?"

The two girls looked at each other, their eyes connected. "Hades."

It was easy to instantly tell that that had not been what she had been expecting but then it was like a light had just gone on. "That's why he let me go when we were younger and didn't hurt you? And why you froze up when he was trying to escape from the Isle. How long have you known?"

"I've always known. He left when I was a baby… but I did bump into him a few times on the Isle growing up. He… never hurt me until the other week. He even saved me." Mal looked down as the memories began to fill her again. "He doesn't exist in my life… but him being my father is not a good thing."

"You're related to the Gods!"

"That's your first thought?"

Evie laughed. "No my first thought was that he almost killed me. Talk about family memories."

The two girls laughed together. Mal was relieved to have some of this off her chest - she could always count on Evie. "I love you."

"I love you." The two girls sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, simply pondering over what had been said. "Anything else?" Evie whispered with a cheeky smile. That girl liked gossip too much sometimes.

Mal rolled her eyes as she shook her head before thinking of something. "Actually, yes. Gil really liked you for a while."

"Really?"

Mal nodded. "Harry and I were planning on setting you two up if we ever went public."

"Wow. He was really cute." Evie gushed. "Can you imagine Gaston as my father-in-law?"

The two of them broke into laughter again, Mal not even caring about the pain anymore - that thought was too funny! Their lives would have been so different had they remained on the Isle. Mal couldn't help but wonder if she and Harry would have actually worked out or not. Happy endings didn't happen on the Isle. There were a few who were more successful than others but none that lasted. And those who seemed to have the dream, one died, just like Gil's mum. How Gaston got a happy-ending was beyond her, he was so pig-headed, but he had found love. Mal never liked going to Gil's home when his mum had been alive because she'd been jealous of him having both parents at home; she wished she hadn't been so narrow-minded at the time. Part of her now wished she could bring Gil here or replace him with Harry, but that wasn't going to happen… they might not even open the barrier ever again anyway.

The two girls remained in silence for the rest of the night. Evie had fallen asleep first before Mal had allowed herself to succumb to sleep too.

* * *

**A huge thank you to: Daddy's HQxx - For reviewing again! You're amazing! **

**And thank you to Gabriella91 for reviewing! I'm glad you're liking it so far!**


	13. Running Away To The Castle

**Running Away To The Castle**

* * *

The following day started with Evie getting out of the bed and accidentally waking her up in the process - the princess was always an early riser - and Mal had decided to get up too instead of going back to sleep.

She chose her own outfits, though unfortunately, she didn't own any that covered her neck, and ended up in some really comfortable purple leggings with a long top and a purple and green leather jacket. It was the perfect mix of the Isle Mal and Lady Mal. Though the boots were fully Isle Mal. After that, she spent the majority of her free time attempting different spells to get rid of the bruises, and was thankful when she succeeded, but still opted to wear Jay's scarf. It was better safe than sorry; she didn't want people asking questions.

It was as Evie and Mal were walking down for breakfast with Dizzy and Celia, that Mal became very apparent that word had gotten out that she had been attacked - though, it seemed nobody knew precisely who, just that it was a VK. She knew that they were smart enough to connect the dots.

She didn't let that deter her from her food or the casual conversation she was having with her friends. Mal replied to Ben's morning text before they left the food hall and linked arms with Evie as they walked to class. The two of them rarely had any classes together - Evie was smarter than her - so it was always great when they did. Though, Mal wasn't being the most well-behaved student as she kept returning Ben's texts almost as soon as he'd sent them - which was very quickly.

Mal almost pouted when she and Evie were separated for their next class, but she stayed close with Carlos, deciding to keep her phone away. However, she ended up chatting with Carlos for most of the class, the two of them catching up in the time. She was delighted at how well Nathan and Nate were fitting in and how Jay and he were barely needed. It was amazing to find out how quickly they adapted and made Mal understand why choosing a younger child was a good idea.

It was lunchtime that things almost went downhill. Harry had found her, and she was alone. Carlos had to find Jane and Mal had only walked halfway to the food hall.

"Mal," he called. She would recognise his voice anywhere.

Despite what happened yesterday, she stopped and turned to face him, holding her hand up as a non-verbal warning to not get too close. He abided. "What do you want Harry?"

"I'm… I didn't mean to hurt you yesterday," he said. It was almost an apology.

"It's fine, it's in the past," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

Harry let out a breath. "Then why aren't we allowed to spend time together?"

Mal glanced behind her in the direction of her original destination. "It's not that we can't spend time together, but Jay's going to be the one looking after you the most. I'm not consistently here anyway and it's better suited for a male to look after a male."

"That's bullshit."

"You need to stop using language like that," Mal warned him before taking a calming breath. "I fought for you to remain here after yesterday, Auradon doesn't tolerate violence. As a result, it's been agreed that I shouldn't be your only form of contact. It'll be good for you, and I'd hate to think that you were dependant on me."

Those words obviously struck Harry and he knew exactly what she was doing too.

"We can still hang out, though, right?"

Mal nodded. Even though she shouldn't have agreed - she knew a few people would be mad at her for it - she couldn't just stay away from Harry. He was still very important to her.

"Of course we can. We should limit it, for now, wait until things cool down at least. Then I'm sure we can get back to revising together in the library. Also, I'll see you when all of the VKs hang out too. It's not like there's a restraining order on you or anything."

Harry nodded. She could see the understanding in his eyes; he had gone too far yesterday. "I really didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know, Harry," she replied, her voice softer than she imagined it could be. "I'm sorry for everything. We were still together when I left and I never explained what happened or why I ended up with Ben."

"Maybe you can do that later."

Mal smiled. "Definitely. I'll see you around, okay?"

"Sure… you're not going to the food room?"

She shook her head. "Not right now. You go on though, make sure you're keeping up your strength."

He smiled at her, the look in his eyes that she used to love, and walked past her. Mal couldn't help but watch him walk away, smiling when he glanced back. Once he was out of sight, she headed up to her room as quickly as she could as she realised - maybe she had loved Harry more than she originally thought. She didn't want to even think about that and called Ben the second her door closed.

He answered instantly. "_Hey Mal, everything okay?"_

"Yeah… I just miss you."

"_I miss you too. Sorry, I left yesterday, Evie said I should because you needed girl-talk and I didn't want to undermine your friendship."_

Mal loved it when he tried to explain himself. "That's fine. It really helped." She paused. "I was wondering if the offer was still open for me to come to yours for a day or two."

She could almost hear the smile on the other side of the phone. "_Absolutely. I'll send a driver and let Fairy Godmother know. Be ready in 30 minutes."_

"Okay. I will be. I love you."

"_I love you too. See you soon."_

"Bye," she said, hanging up the phone and sitting on her bed. This wasn't the first time she would be running away from a problem, but at least she wasn't returning to the Isle of the Lost this time.

* * *

The drive to Ben's castle was longer than Mal remembered, especially when her mind was plagued with thoughts. Having Harry apologise - in his own words - made all of their good memories rush to the front of her mind. There was so much to remember as well.

The first time they had met when they simply acted as normal children and raced each other up the ship. How they sat with Uma and told stories that they heard from their parents. About Peter Pan being truly cruel and feeding Hooks hand to the crocodile, and how Ursula gave Ariel exactly what she wanted and still it wasn't enough. Mal had laughed when she'd said how her mum had been upset over not being invited to a party, which at the time seemed so small and silly. Of course, two years later Mal understood that feeling.

She remembered being so jealous when Hook gave Harry one of his own hooks for his seventh birthday because he 'deserved' it. And then, even though that's all Harry had ever wanted, he let Mal hold it for most of the day because he realised how sad she was about it.

Mal laughed as she remembered them sneaking up on Uma on numerous occasions, making her jump and curse. And how they somehow always failed to sneak up on Gil, he always so casually said hi to them, as if he didn't realise they were trying to scare him.

She sobered up as she tried to count how many times they patched each other up. Using their own clothes sometimes to stop the bleeding or cover up a bruise so nobody knew they had gotten hurt. Her hand went to her back and grazed over one of her scars - one of the many that she knew Ben didn't know about - and was brought back to that day. It was Harry's sixteenth birthday and she had snuck into his house to wish him a Happy Birthday. They had fooled around, not actually having sex as she had expected… just making out, rolling around, play fighting. And Hook even walked in on them - not for the first time - only to roll his eyes and leave the house. They had laughed so much but that didn't stop them. In fact, knowing they were alone they had become more handsy and creative, causing Harry to accidentally embed his hook into her skin. It had bled like crazy, ruining the small amount of bedding that he had at that time and leaving a nasty cut once the bleeding had stopped. Even while he was trying to stop it, she couldn't stop laughing.

It was about three weeks later, when she knew it was a scar, that during one of their sword fights, with Uma constantly trying to get Mal, that Mal had done everything she could to get Harry - and she had, she jabbed her sword into his back, almost in the same place and rejoiced when it bled. Unfortunately for her, it didn't scar, but it was enough revenge for her.

That was only six months before her mum had announced she was going to be leaving. Mal had honestly been heartbroken by the idea but Maleficent didn't take no for an answer.

She still remembered how he held her to him when they said goodbye. He had always held her so supportively when it was just the two of them, she always felt safe in his arms. It was a feeling she rarely got on the Isle.

Mal let out a sigh as they pulled reminded herself that the past was the _past_ and to not let it affect her present or future. She told herself repeatedly that they wouldn't have worked long term. They were in different gangs and happy-endings didn't exist on the Isle.

* * *

Mal smiled at the chauffeur as she exited the car.

"I will take your belongings to your room," he told her with a smile.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. Questions passed through her mind quickly - what room? Where would it be? It wasn't sharing with Ben, right? How'd Ben arranged this so quickly? That she had been left alone. Mal looked around before walking to the castle; she had been here a few times before but never overnight and always with Ben accompanying her. The only exception was a few nights ago for their engagement party and she had shared with Evie because she didn't know where else to go. This was a little nerve-wracking.

Mal took a breath and walked confidently to the front door, hesitating as she tried to decide whether or not to knock. Thankfully, it opened and Lumiere opened it before she had to make a decision. "Good afternoon, Lumiere."

"Good afternoon, Lady Mal. King Ben is finishing up with a meeting and then he'll be with you. Please come on in and wait in the foyer."

Mal nodded and followed his instructions, walking into the foyer and sitting down to wait. She watched Lumiere walk off, leaving her alone and looked around. She had never had the chance to look round this room before. Her attention went to the painting on the wall and she stood to examine it: it was Beast and Belle dancing. Belle was in a gorgeous yellow ball gown with a smile on her face as she looked at Beast. Mal hadn't expected to see a photo on display of Beast as… well… Beast. That truly reminder her that he was Adam now.

Her ears perked up when she heard Ben's voice and turned to see him conversing with an individual she couldn't place. She watched them for a few seconds before turning away and admiring the fireplace. For this being just the foyer, having such a spectacular fireplace here seemed like a waste. It looked perfect to light on a cold day, sit in front, and just talk the evening away. Mal knew they had other fireplaces in the castle, she just wasn't sure on where.

"Lady Mal is waiting for you in the foyer, your majesty."

"Thank you, Lumiere."

Mal turned around again to greet Ben, a smile instantly on her face at the sight of him. "Hey."

He smiled widely in response and instantly wrapped his arms slowly around her. She didn't hesitate to bring her lips to his as her arms went around his neck. "I'm so glad you decided to come here," he said as he pulled away. "I really wish I could be at school so I can see you every day again."

"I understand. I'm glad we're here together now."

Ben stepped back and took her hand. "Have you had lunch yet?" He grinned when she shook her head. "Great, let's go raid the kitchen."

Mal laughed gently and let him lead her out of the foyer and in the correct direction. She was completely clueless about how to navigate around the castle. "Was Fairy Godmother okay with me missing class?"

"Yes, although you are responsible for catching up on any work you miss. I'm having somebody collect all the work at the end of each day so you can go through it in your own time or sit down with a tutor the following day."

"So organised," she teased. Mal constantly looked around in order to try and memorise the route. She didn't want to depend on Ben the whole time - that would be a burden to him.

Him squeezing her hand made her look up and focus on him. "You seem a bit jumpy," he pointed out. Though, when he stopped the sentence there she had to raise an eyebrow at him. "What?" he asked innocently. "I'm just concerned."

Mal let out a sigh. "Do you remember how I was when I first came from the Isle?" He nodded. "I always had my guard up. I wouldn't let anybody sneak up behind me, I was constantly vigilant on my surroundings, made sure I could always depend on just me. I couldn't even fully depend on Evie. The Isle taught you not to. Yesterday just brought back all of those instincts in me."

Ben nodded understandingly and bumped shoulders with her. A laugh left her lips at how carefree and nonchalant he was being. His whole demeanor was making her feel relaxed. Yesterday was now the past and it seemed Ben didn't care about anything that had been shared. She didn't even stop to think about what his parents were thinking at this time either. Right now, it was just her and Ben and nothing else mattered.

Unfortunately, paradise didn't last long enough.

"Your Majesty," they were interrupted. "There's a call for you; it's important."

Ben nodded, his body stiffening. "I'm sorry Mal, I have to take that. Down the hall and to the right, I'll come and find you in a little bit, okay?"

Mal couldn't do anything apart from nod before Ben walked off with the man that came to collect it. She let out a sigh before turning and walking in the direction he'd sent her. She wished she had more time with him but understood that he had important King duties, it's why he wasn't in school after all.

She ended up peering into two rooms before locating the large kitchen. Her mouth opened in shock as she scanned over the pristine services and appliances.

"Lady Mal," a female in an apron greeted, crossing over the room towards her. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Mal nodded mildly. "Good afternoon, ma'am." She had learnt that regarding adults as ma'am or sir was socially acceptable at Auradon - that helped as she didn't know most people's names.

"Are we waiting for King Ben?"

She shook her head. "He's been pulled away." She paused. "What's your name?"

The woman smiled. "I'm Mrs Potts."

Mal smiled in reply and looked around, really wishing that Ben was here.

"What would you like me to make you?"

"Oh, uh," Mal verbalised, not having an idea. She half-listened to Mrs Potts suggestions before one popped out. "Cookies… but could I make it?"

The women nodded. "Of course you can, Lady Mal. I'll get out the ingredients and recipe. Let me know if you require any help."

"Thank you," Mal replied and awkwardly waited around until the counter was filled with everything she needed. She smiled as Mrs Potts walked off and looked at the book with the cookie recipe. There were a lot of similarities with this recipe and the one she used for the love spell, which shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did.

Mal worked in silence as she put all of the ingredients together and laid out the 13 cookies onto the sheet before asking for Mrs Potts' help with the baking of it. Once it was done, she was handed them on a plate.

"Thank you, again," Mal said. It still felt weird to say thank you so often but she knew she'd get used to it. "Could I take these to… somewhere to sit?" she asked, failing to work out where she wanted to go.

Mrs Potts smiled fondly. "Of course, how about I should you to the conservatory."

Mal nodded and followed her, once again in silence, holding the plate of cookies. They smelt delicious. When she was left alone in the room, she was amazed at it. Two out of four of the walls were fully windows, with french doors that opened out onto a deck, overseeing the garden. Mal elected to sit on one the two-seated swing with the cookies on the table next to her and look out at the garden. Confusion set in for a moment as she heard running water but realised it was a beautiful fountain to the left of her.

She ate three cookies before contently enjoying her surroundings. This place was breathtaking.

* * *

Mal's thoughts were interrupted when Belle walked out onto the decking beside her and sat down.

"Good evening," Mal greeted with a smile. There were only three cookies left and she offered one to her future mother-in-law.

Belle respectfully declined. "Dinner will be in a few minutes, so I should wait until afterward." She nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"Good. A little tired," Mal replied but decided to elaborate to fill the silence. "Evie isn't the best to sleep next to. She's a hugger. Just makes me too warm."

Belle let out a good-natured laugh and didn't ask any questions. "I'm glad Evie was there for you." Her smile mostly disappeared. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. It must have been terrible."

Mal shrugged. "No harm done. Besides, Harry apologised. It's difficult to work out how to act here."

Belle nodded slowly, obviously, there was something else on her mind.

"What?"

"When I spoke to Harry, he mentioned a few things that concerned me about your life on the Isle."

Mal's eyes widened. There were still things that Mal didn't want anybody here at Auradon to know and a few things she hadn't told Ben yet that she was considering doing so. "Like what?"

Belle seemed to hesitate. It was at this moment she wondered if it was why Adam wasn't here - something Harry had said meant a one on one conversation. That was worrying. "That… you were thrown off a building when you were young. That everybody from the Isle has scars. And… that rape is a common thing."

Mal gulped. Scars. He had to mention the scars. "I was never raped," she answered truthfully. "That was one of the perks of being the daughter of Maleficent, I had a small protective barrier around me regarding certain things." She paused as the relief set into Belle. "I wasn't thrown _off_ a building, it was a similar situation though. I was young and embellished it. I have been thrown into walls and off ledges, but never a building." She paused again as Belle's face drained, perhaps she shouldn't have said that. Mal looked over at the older women and knew she had to continue and address the last comment. "And yes, I have scars."

"Physical scars?"

"Mental, physical, and emotional," Mal answered truthfully. She might not have wanted to have this conversation with Belle but you gotta do what you gotta do. "After the incident with Harry yesterday, I've been more closed off and jumpy. Everything that happened on the Isle had triggered this defense system and yesterday made me jump straight back into that frame of mine."

Belle placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be okay."

Mal sent her a smile. It was clear that she could easily change the subject now but while we had the opportunity, it just felt right to reveal the scars - or at least some of them - to Belle. It was a natural time to do so. She stood up and shrugged off her jacket before pulling up her top. "The main scars I have are around my midsection. This one here," she said, grazing over the two-inch thin scar on her stomach, "was from a sword when I was ten." Mal continued, pointing out and giving a very brief story of how she got five of the scars on her stomach, side or lower back. She pulled her top down suddenly as Adam walked out onto the decking.

"Dinner time," he announced. "Belle?" his tone instantly turned to concern as he saw his wife in tears.

Belle sniffled and accepted the handkerchief Adam was offering her, gently patting her eyes. "I'm fine, Adam. Just some girl talk."

Mal felt herself close off as she quickly put on her jacket - another layer to keep them hidden. She knew that Belle would tell him later but as long as she wasn't in the room, she didn't care.

"Girl talk," Adam repeated slowly, rubbing his hands up and down his wife's arms supportively.

Not long after, once Belle had calmed down, they all went into the dining room and ate the food. Mal remained silent for the majority of it. Occasionally she gave one-word answers when one of them tried to pull her into the conversation. She just couldn't pretend to be happy or ignore the fact that she had just shown Belle some of her scars. Most of them weren't even done maliciously, well, at least half weren't malicious. Some of them you couldn't even see unless you were looking, like the ones on her knees - they were so faded and small that nobody had even commented on them when she wore dresses.

Mal had contemplated excusing herself right before dessert was about to be served when Ben suddenly appeared.

"My apologies," he spoke as he entered the room. He instantly made a bee-line for her and dropped a kiss on the side of her mouth before sitting down next to her. Instantly, Mrs Potts came out with the same dinner they had all just finished and placed it in front of him with cutlery. "I'm sorry I had to leave earlier."

"It's fine. I saw the gardens, they are beautiful," she replied with a smile, feeling so much more comfortable now that he was here.

Ben ate a mouthful as she spoke and swallowed before replying. "That's great! How long did you walk around them for?"

Mal hesitated. "I didn't walk around them, I just looked at them from the decking."

Belle's eyes widened slightly. "Why didn't you go out into them?"

"I didn't know I was allowed," she admitted quietly.

Ben's hand rested on her knee under the table as he began to eat with one hand. Mal moved her hand down and took it, thankful for the contact. "You can go anywhere you want. Maybe we can go for a walk around the gardens after dinner."

Mal smiled at that. "That sounds nice."

"How are you finding school, Mal?" Adam asked, breaking her from her thoughts at the sudden change of topic. She supposed it was his attempt to start a conversation with her after the multiple failed questions from this meal.

"It's good," she answered but Ben's supportive squeezing her hand made her realise she needed to expand. "Everybody is very supportive and the teachers are confident I'll be able to pass everything at least. Science is difficult though."

"Science was never my favourite subject," Adam revealed.

Mal looked at him. "Really?" she questioned, to which he nodded. "It's Evie's favourite." She saw his look. "Exactly! Evie likes science. I just don't get it."

Adam and Ben laughed, with Mal and Belle joining in.

Ben finished his food rather quickly and Mrs Potts collected it within a minute. Mal wondered what it would have been like growing up with somebody waiting on you. It was very difficult to imagine, especially for her.

"What are you thinking about?" Ben whispered, leaning into her lightly.

"How different our childhoods were," Mal answered simply. She noticed Belle pale at the comment and had to look down for a moment. Quickly, to avoid suspicion, she carried on talking by asking a question. That seemed to be a trait she was slowly gaining. "What was it like?"

The situation diffused itself before Ben could notice his mother's strange behaviour as he talked about his life growing up. Mal couldn't help but feel envious of everything he got handed to him simply because of who his parents were. Mal had never been handed anything, she had to work for everything she wanted or even needed. Her mother had given her vertically nothing growing up, not even the bare basics that everybody on Auradon got - love, safety, and attention.

Mal used to think she was lucky for having a roof over her head and a mother who stuck around. But the more she listened to Ben talk, the more she realised how terrible her life was. Unfortunately, Mal couldn't simply just blame her mother, it wasn't her fault they were in the Isle, it was Adam and Belle's fault. The royal couple didn't even think about the children of villains as they raised their darling little boy.

Instead of directly speaking, she encouraged Ben to keep on talking and ate her dessert in near silence. It was difficult for her to not shove it down her throat to leave the table. She hated having these feelings. Hated how anger was seeping into her mind over hearing about Ben's happy childhood. It wasn't his fault. And technically, it wasn't his parent's fault either. Her mother had been a lunatic; most of the villains on the Isle had been absolutely awful, but Adam and Belle didn't cause the harm to her. They just didn't help. They didn't _think_.

Her attention was pulled by Ben as he moved their joined hands from her knee to his. She looked up at him with a smile.

"How about we go for a walk around the gardens now?"

With a nod, she stood up, however, they hadn't even managed to bid their goodbyes to his parents before Lumiere pulled Ben away for something. Mal didn't even listen to the reason. "I'll see you later," she said softly, accepting his chaste kiss before he walked off, reading the paperwork that had been handed to him.

Mal sent a smile to Adam and Belle before excusing herself and aimlessly walking around the castle. It was not how she expected the day to go, after all, her time with Ben totalled up to less than an hour, but at least she was able to avoid a certain somebody. Three hours later, Mal had completely made herself lost and was trying to work out how to get back to a place she knew when she bumped into Lumiere.

"Lady Mal, what are you doing here?" he asked politely.

"Getting lost," she admitted.

Lumiere's expression completely changed. "Where would you like to go?"

Mal thought about that for a moment. "My room?"

He nodded curtly and led the way. "Are you enjoying your stay?"

She blinked, having not expected a conversation to start. "It's been interesting. Seeing the inside of the castle has been really eye-opening. There's just so much history on the walls and in the structure too. Everything here is so refined. I feel like I don't belong."

"Why do you say that?"

Mal closed her eyes for a second. She was talking way too much these days and spilling too much to too many people. First Ben with a lot of things that happened with the Isle; second Evie, regarding her own father and relationship with Harry; Thirdly Fairy Godmother, Adam, Belle, and the guards when they were discussing sending Harry back to the Isle; Fourthly Belle, telling her about her scars; and now admitting that she didn't fit in. She didn't want to be rude so she gave a small reply. "I'm just a girl from the Isle."

Lumiere glanced at her. It was obvious he was trying not to stare. "What does that have to do with anything?" he asked rhetorically. "Where you come from does not determine where you go, Lady Mal. If anything, being from the Isle gives you an advantage. You have much more experience than most children your age. I can see how much compassion you have for others and how you train yourself to consider all options before sharing them. That makes you very worthy to walk these halls and will make you a great Queen."

"Thank you, Lumiere," Mal said genuinely. She was unable to process what response she should give him for his extremely kind words.

"You're welcome, Lady Mal," he replied before coming to a stop. "Here is your room, if you needed anything, please don't hesitate to ring."

Mal nodded and entered her room, curious about what he meant but 'ring' but presumed after a moment that he meant on the phone. She almost stopped as she looked around the large room. She had not expected it to be bigger than her dorm room.

The room was a very pale lilac with a darker imprinted design that looked like flowers. The flooring was the softest and whitest carpet she had ever seen. Mal slipped off her boots and enjoyed the comfort. There were a white couch and two matching white chairs around a small glass coffee table with purple lilies in a vase centering it. The bed was lined with purple bedding which matched Mal's hair perfectly. With slow steps, Mal made her way to the door in the room, opening it to see it led to a huge ensuite bathroom with an adjacent wardrobe. What shocked her, even more, was that there were a few outfits, all purple, which looked to be her size.

How much thought had gone into this room?

Mal was tempted to run herself a bath to soak in but knew that Ben may become free at any moment and didn't want to make herself unavailable. She slipped out her phone and one-handedly dropped him a message to check on him and tell her where she was while her other hand grazed over the smooth feeling sink and bathtub.

When there was no immediate reply, she wandered back into the bedroom and opened up her bag of things which had been placed on a bench at the bottom of her bed and pulled out her drawing book. Mal hadn't had much time to draw lately and really missed it. Of course, it wasn't the same as decorating a whole wall, but it was satisfying never-the-less.

* * *

Mal was woken up by her phone going off and absentmindedly replied to Ben saying that she understood before sliding out of the bed. She stifled a yawn and changed into her pyjamas before climbing into her bed properly and going to sleep.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! **


	14. Why didn't you tell me?

**A/N. Hello! Thank you for coming to this chapter! I highly appreciate it and hope you like it. **

**The rating for this story has been increased to M due to some content in his chapter - it deals with a sensitive subject. I have put a clear warning right before it - it's towards the end. **

**Thank you. **

* * *

It seemed as if life was repeating itself the following morning. It had been much like the first, with Ben constantly working, though this time, she had work from her teachers that she could focus her attention on. Mal had a rather nice dinner with Adam and Belle, talking about school and what the future could look it. It was nice to discuss the future so casually to give her an idea of what might happen.

Mal was glad that Belle didn't try to reprise the conversation they'd had yesterday because Mal wasn't feeling as open as she had been then. In fact, she felt very tight-lipped today. Too much honesty was starting to take a tow on her. Being so truthful was exhausting.

She glanced at Lumiere with a smile as he knocked on Ben's office door and entered. A minute later he came out and indicated to be quiet when entering.

Silently, she walked into the office, letting the door shut behind her, and held back at her surprise. Three out of four walls were filled with shelves of books. The last wall was half a window letting in a lot of natural sunlight. Ben was sitting at his gigantic desk, on the left side of the room. The right side extended down further, with a business table that had 18 chairs around it. It was magnificent. As she walked into the room, she noticed two comfy chairs in the corner with a small table between them.

Ben waved her over, even though he was on the phone, and she complied. It took her sixteen steps to get to his desk and another seven to circle around to him. While she waited, she decided to play with his hair. It was starting to get longer. Her fingers remained entwined as he looped one arm around her waist. Mal had completely zoned out his words and after a few minutes pulled his chair back slightly to be able to sit on his lap as she waited.

His arm never left her waist and between talking, he dropped a sweet kiss to her cheek. It took him another ten minutes before he ended the call and turned his attention to her.

"Hey."

Her eyes instantly turned to him as she smiled. "Hey."

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to spend much time with you; things are really crazy right now. It should calm down soon."

"It's okay, I understand," she said. Those words were becoming too familiar on her lips. Truth was, she didn't actually understand why he was so busy but didn't want to spoil the moments they had together by making him explain. She trusted him when he said things would calm down. "I'm thinking about going back to school tomorrow? I'll leave in the morning and attend afternoon classes."

Ben's smile faltered for a few moments. "Are you sure?"

Mal nodded. "Yeah, I've had time to relax here and I've seen you a bit. I don't want to miss too much school, especially as summer is in a few weeks."

He nodded. "That makes sense. Talking about summer," he started as he absentmindedly began to play with her hair. "Did you want to stay in the castle?"

"Here?"

"Yeah, then we spend the summer together."

Mal had not been expecting that invitation; part of her still believed she'd be sent back to the Isle over summer. "I'd love that," she started but quickly halted his excitement. "I just have to see what the other VKs are going to do first. I'd hate to abandon them. Can I get back to you?"

He nodded. "Sure. Talk to Fairy Godmother, she was looking into accommodation for them if they didn't want to or weren't able to return to the Isle."

The way his voice deflated slightly at the end of the sentence reminded her of her recommendation to consider closing the barrier for good. That would mean all of the VKs here were stuck. Mal wasn't sure she'd be able to tell the younger kids this. It would break their heart. She wasn't even sure what Evie, Jay, or Carlos would think. She made a mental note to talk to Evie about it when she got back. "I will," she confirmed.

"What are you doing now?" he asked her.

Mal smiled down at him, loving being taller than him - even if it was because she was on his lap. "Just sitting here. How much work do you have?"

Ben sighed and looked around her. "A lot. I'll be down for dinner though, I promise."

She almost cringed, a promise he couldn't keep. "Dinner was an hour ago."

His eyes quickly left her as he checked the time. His eyes widened. "I hadn't realised. I'm so sorry, that's all my fault."

"You're busy and have a pile of paperwork to do… how is there so much?" she found herself asking.

Ben turned her on his lap to face his desk, his arms around her as he picked up some of the sheets. "Most of it is the transferring of responsibilities from my Dad to me. I have to become acquainted with everything. It was a steady increase at first but it's building up. Also, I have to make an active attempt to communicate with every kingdom, meet up with them, show them that I'm interested in everything that's important to them and build up an appropriate rapport. Right now, I'm an unknown entity. A child who's taking over as King." He took a breath. "There's also a lot of history that I need to go through so I'm not ignorant of past events and can join in conversations when required."

That was a lot. "Am I going to have to do this?"

"Not to the extent. Mainly the history and creating rapport with members of the community." She turned back to look at him. "You've got a long while though, no-one will expect you to start until we're married."

"If I come here over the summer, we could always go over some of the work together," she suggested, igniting a smile out of him.

"I love the sound of that!"

Mal leant down and placed a soft kiss on his lips. She smiled into it as his hand entangled into her hair.

They parted shortly after. "You sure you don't want to just stay in the castle instead of going back to school?"

"I'll miss my friends too much," she replied, using a different reason this time, one that Ben couldn't dispute.

"Okay." He sighed regretfully. "I should get back to work."

Mal looked behind her before a teasing smile made its way to her lips. "And here I was going to invite you to join me in the bath." She smirked as his eyes widened dramatically, his mouth opening in shock. "Guess I'll have to bathe alone."

"Uhh," he attempted, getting flustered. His cheeks turned bright red.

Mal let out a short chuckle which turned into laughter when Adam knocked and entered the room, making Ben get even more embarrassed.

"Sorry to interrupt, I didn't realise you were here," Adam apologised.

"That's fine, I was just leaving," Mal replied, dropping a quick kiss to Ben's lips before getting up from his lap and turning to face Adam. "I'll see you both later."

Ben cleared his throat. "Bye Mal."

She silently waved at him before walking out of the door and bursting into more laughter. Perhaps she was enjoying this more than she should have. Oh well! Mal surprised herself when she managed to make it back to her room in twenty minutes. Sure, she walked around the halls lost for a while but not enough that she couldn't trace her way back. It was a proud moment.

Time for her bath.

* * *

She ate breakfast with Ben in his office the next morning before having a very short heart-to-heart with Belle. Thankfully, the older woman accepted that Mal didn't want to discuss their previous conversation and instead discussed her relationship with Ben. That was an easy subject on the surface.

The journey back to Auradon was filled with multiple thoughts, unfortunately, the lack of time with her fiance was one of them. Had she thought about it earlier, she would have ate with him in his office at all meals. It was somewhat difficult to accept that it wasn't his fault when he had originally invited her. Though, she saw the benefit of being away from Auradon Prep for a few days - it really helped to clear her mind.

There weren't so many things running through her mind at the same time. She had time to think about everything that had happened on the Isle and how far she had come since she'd been at Auradon. There was also a lot of reflection on her relationship with Ben and his parents. Showing Belle her scars was probably the scariest thing she had done but it filled her with such relief that she had done it. Of course, her future mother-in-law being in tears wasn't what she expected - she had expected disgust. It was still difficult for the ex-villain to work out how somebody was going to react. That was one of the biggest reasons she was reluctant to reveal everything that happened on the Isle.

More and more details were being revealed and Mal knew that it was best for her to be the one to tell her side of the story first. And she would… Eventually. She still had to address her scars with Ben anyway. He would be the one who would spend the most time with her body once they were married, so his opinion mattered the most.

The second Mal had arrived back to Auradon Prep, she dropped her stuff off in her room and made her way to find Fairy Godmother. She was confused as to why she was still teaching Goodness 101 until she realised that they had made very good time.

Silently, she made her way into the room and leant against the outside wall. A smile graced her lips as she remembered these classes. They felt so stupid to her at the time. Fairy Godmother had always taught them with so much passion and that hadn't deterred.

"Perhaps Mal can demonstrate," the older women announced.

All four VKs turned to look at.

Mal smiled. "I wasn't listening," she admitted, igniting laughs from the students. Either way, she made her way forward.

"We are discussing how you acknowledge the presence of the royal family."

"Ah." That made sense, though, Mal couldn't remember being taught this. Mal turned back to the students and instantly gave them all a low professional curtsy. "Though, the boys generally bow," she said, demonstrating a low bow.

Fairy Godmother clapped her hands. "Perfect. How would you greet the King?"

Mal had a sarcastic comment, really wanted to say 'benny-boo' but held it back. "King Ben. Your highness. Your Majesty. Something along those lines."

"Do you?" Harry asked, his voice strong and sharp.

Their eyes connected. "I usually stick with Ben," she paused, looking at the other students. "As his fiance, I can get away with it."

Nate was the only one that laughed. "What do we call you?" Felicity asked. It was clear she was taking this class very seriously. In fact, all of them seemed to be, including Harry. Mal never even took notes.

"Mal..?" she answered with a hint of confusion.

Fairy Godmother cleared her throat. "Until she marries the King, the appropriate greeting would be Lady Mal."

Mal spun around to stare at the older women. "Really?"

A nod confirmed it.

"While we're all in school, just stick with Mal."

They nodded and wrote that down.

Nathan's hand flew up into the air. "What about when you're married, Mal?"

The purple-haired girl wasn't able to answer that question and looked at Fairy Godmother.

"Queen Mal would be the most appropriate greeting."

Queen Mal… that sounded weird.

"Your homework is to discover how you should greet King Ben's parents, now that they are no longer in reign," she announced. "You are dismissed."

The VKs packed up their belongings and left. Harry sent Mal a questioning look but she ignored it and turned her attention to the fairy. "Do you have a moment?"

"Of course dear, let's go to my office."

* * *

Mal exited Fairy Godmothers office an hour and a half later. It was almost lunch time so she didn't bother going to her lesson.

Summer School. Summer… school… How on earth was she going to make that sound like a good thing to the VKs? There were so many reasons behind it and the main one she'd be sticking to was the chance to fully catch up without the pressures of other students. Additionally, it had been agreed that the VKs were not going to undergo any tests or exams over the next few weeks.

Unfortunately, Harry had taken that science test and completely bombed it. Fairy Godmother now knew how far behind Harry was on his literacy skills, something that would affect every single subject. Lucky for him, he was a quick learner, and the revising they did in the library had already pulled him up - that didn't hide the fact that he was still far behind everybody his age.

Thankfully, Mal had convinced Fairy Godmother to wait until summer before putting things in place. Harry was doing fine and his verbal responses had come a long way already. But, because he was much older, the disadvantages were more obvious.

Mal also found out that Nathan and Nate were behind the rest of their class too. Both of them lacked vocal ability to answer questions and weren't up to the standards in their literacy either. Nathan excelled at math, though.

The twins were surprisingly fine in all lessons but simply preferred to not answer questions in front of the class. Dizzy and Celia were doing fine, but Mal knew that both of the girls had spent a great deal with time with Evie catching up.

The thing that surprised Mal the most was that Felicity was above the rest of her class. She aced every single test put in front of her, had zero trouble academically and had been discovered tutoring Poca, her roommate. She had been deemed as one of the most hardworking students and all the teachers loved her.

Felicity was probably the only person that her excuse of 'catching up' over summer would fall flat on. However, she was also probably the one who would enjoy staying in school the most.

"Mal!" Carlos' voice broke her from her thoughts.

"What's wrong?"

He skidded to a halt in front of her and she tensed up, ready to fight. "What should I get Jane for her birthday?"

"Huh?" she asked dumbfounded, quickly recovering. "Jane's birthday?"

"I don't know what to get her. I need her to know that I'm serious but not too serious."

Mal glared at the younger boy. "Is it her birthday today?"

Carlos looked a little taken aback by her tone but continued anyway. "It's in six weeks, during the summer. I just found out and I have no idea what to get her."

"Jewelry."

"Jewelry?"

"People from Auradon really like their jewelry. When Ben and I were just dating, he gave me his class ring as a recognition of us being together or something… it was a really big deal; it represented that we were together. A physical item to be worn."

Carlos nodded slowly with a smile. "Thanks Mal," he said, linking arms with her and began to guide her towards the food room. "How was the castle?"

Mal felt all tension slip out of her body. She felt safe with Carlos. "Big. I spent more than a few hours being lost."

Her younger friend laughed at her expense and she joined in. "Seriously? What did Ben say?"

"I'm not sure if he knows. He worked quite a lot when I was there."

"And you were allowed to go anywhere?" he asked with mild surprise.

Mal bumped shoulders with him, something that Ben had done with her, and smiled. It was still difficult to get their heads around the freedom they had here. "Yes. I could do anything I wanted."

"Sounds nice."

"You can do what you want to too," she pointed out. "What are you doing over summer?"

Carlos hesitated, sending her a look he recognised. He thought she was going to be angry. "Well… Jane usually stays here for a lot of summer as Fairy Godmother runs summer school. I was thinking about staying here for a bit instead of going straight back to the Isle. My mother wasn't all that nice last time I visited her, so I don't want to spend the whole of the summer back on the Isle with her."

Mal sent him a smile, trying to calm his rambling. "That sounds lovely. I'm actually not going back to the Isle at all this summer," she informed him. She felt him relax beside her. "You don't have to go back either. In fact, we're going to ask the newest eight VKs to remain here all summer to catch up on work and give them more time to adapt. So, if you were here, you could help keep an eye on them. I'd like one original VK around at all times. I'm happy to do a week or two."

"Where are you going?"

"Ben's invited me to his castle for all of summer. Of course, I want to spend time with you and all of the other VKs. But if there are no set plans, then a week or two at his sounds…"

"Perfect."

"Exactly."

Carlos and Mal arrived at the food hall before everybody else and she briefly wondered if he had skipped class but elected to not ask. "Jane and I did discuss going travelling for a week over the summer if her mother approves, so other than that I'm happy to remain here for all of the summer. I do have one more year, unlike you."

Mal laughed. She often forgot that he was younger than her, if only by seven months. That had been enough for him to remain an extra year. It meant he was in the same year as Jane, which he loved. Though, Mal never questioned why she shared some classes with him; either he was ahead or she was behind. Either way, this was her last year. If she did fail anything, Ben would simply arrange a tutor and a private exam for her to pass it in her own time.

"Where would you go?"

He shrugged. "Jane always tells me about these magical places that she's visited. She'll plan it and… it would be nice to spend time with her."

Mal continued to smile. Carlos and Jane's relationship was so cute and it was really nice to see him being so happy and content about something. He deserved happiness. Carlos led them into the food room. They both took their time choosing what to eat before sitting down. Mal was next to Carlos. They slowly were joined by most of the VKs. Evie had been especially excited to see her and instantly pulled her into a hug.

"I've missed you!" her best friend announced.

"I've missed you too… but it's only been two days."

"Longest two days of my life," Evie decided, squeezing herself between Carlos and Mal and stealing some of Mal's food. "Tell me everything about spending time with Ben at his castle. What was it like?"

Mal hadn't seen Evie this excited in a while. And though she wanted to indulge her friend, she didn't want to talk about it in the presence of Harry who had gotten here around the same time as Evie. "I'll tell you later."

Evie pouted. "You better," she warned. Her friend then proceeded to continue to eat from her plate.

Even though her food was being stolen, Mal felt purely at peace being there with her friends. After a while, she leant into Evie and whispered; "I offered for Ben to take a bath with me."

Evie literally spat out her drink, igniting a complaint from Celia. "What?!" She didn't waste any time standing up and dragging Mal out of the room.

Mal laughed the entire way. She spent the table a plea for help only for them let her get taken away. Even Harry seemed amused by her being dragged off.

"Talk."

"He didn't say yes."

"He said no?" She seemed surprised by this.

It was at that moment that Mal realised he hadn't actually answered, she never gave him the opportunity, she simply presumed she knew the answer. "Well… no. Adam walked into the office and I left them to do work."

Evie's eyes sparkled. "I think he would have said yes."

"I'm glad he didn't!" Mal admitted.

Confusion crossed her face. "Why not? You just said the other day that you wanted to be physically closer to him."

"Firstly, I never said that," Mal pointed out. "Secondly, I don't want him to see my scars."

"He's going to see your scars eventually, Mal. They are part of you. Be proud of them, they make you who you are," Evie said, taking her hand and guiding her down the halls.

Mal felt like she hadn't been in control over where she was going for a while, first Carlos, and now Evie, was deciding where she was going. She didn't actually mind. It was a nice change to not be in charge. "What if he doesn't like them?"

"And decides he doesn't love you anymore?" Evie finished, knowing what she was thinking. "Ben loves you and a few scars are not going to change anything."

"How do you know? You have two scars and that's it! I have a massive burn over my right hip and at least eight very visible scars over my body! You don't know that he won't be repulsed by them or that he'll feel sorry for me or try to keep me covered up at all times!" Mal exploded suddenly. All of her insecurities about it coming out as she stood defensively in front of her friend.

Evie took a breath. "How do you know he won't love them as much as he loves you?" she asked calmly.

Mal looked down. Shouting wasn't acceptable at Auradon. She took a moment to compose herself before replying. "Belle cried when I showed her some of them."

"You showed Belle?"

"Harry had told her that everybody on the Isle had scars and a few other things."

"Such as?" It was evident that Evie was shocked and confused by Harry talking to the royals, let alone revealing something from the past.

"He told them that rape was common on the Isle and that I was once thrown off a building." Mal found herself continuing to walk with Evie by her side as they made their way out of the school and into the forest.

**WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING - Sensitive subject ahead: Rape. Nothing explicit. **

"Were you ever raped?"

Mal shook her head before taking in a deep breath. "I almost was."

She looked at her friend with an ashened look as the memory came to the forefront of her brain and decided it was time to talk. Only three people knew of this including herself and the attempted rapist. Time for person number four. "I was fifteen. It was before Harry and I did anything of that sort. I was spying on Uma, working out the best way to torture her or trick her when he found me."

"Who?"

"Patrick."

"He disappeared…"

"He didn't survive the attempt." Mal waited for Evie to respond but when she didn't Mal carried on with the story. "He found me alone in a secluded place. I told him to go away but he ignored me and sat down. I was so stupid and didn't see him as a threat - he wasn't allianced with Uma and had helped us out on multiple occasions. I went back to looking at Uma but I'd lost her; she was gone. I expressed my anger and suddenly he had pushed me onto the ground, one hand over my mouth the other pulling my trousers down."

Mal had to pause, the memory making her shaky. Evie took her hand as they sat down under a tree in the middle of the forest. "Take your time."

Mal took a deep breath and released it slowly. "I tried to scream, to kick him, to hit him. I couldn't even stop him. The way he looked at me was… terrifying. Nobody has ever looked at me like that. I swear, time slowed down as he pulled down his trousers enough to expose himself. Every part of me was screaming for him to stop. Right before… it should have happened… he fell to the side." Another breath. "Uma was there, holding a bloodied brick."

"Uma saved you from him?" Evie whispered.

She nodded in confirmation. "I dressed as quickly as I could. I was terrified. Patrick never got up. But I couldn't get him out of my head. I openly cried in front of Uma… had she attacked, I would have been useless. That day, we set aside our differences and…" Mal stopped. Telling this part of the memory wasn't necessary. "I owed Uma one, which I did return."

Evie took a long while to realise Mal wasn't going to speak again. "Why didn't you tell me? If you were fifteen then, then we were friends."

Mal sighed. "I thought about it. But as I was walking back I bumped into Harry - literally. He said two words, and I broke down. We were in public. I don't even know who was there, I know Gil was… and…" Another sigh left her. "I was sure that you guys were going to find out that there was something between Harry and I but none of you mentioned anything."

"What happened between you two in public?"

_Mal left Uma after spending thirty minutes with her and eating fish. She would never forget that she had helped her when she didn't need to. They reconnected and shared new memories. It was surreal. Both of them knew it couldn't last, they had made names for themselves by going up against each other. They knew the benefit of having the other one as their enemy and were not about to rekindle their friendship. _

_She held her head up high as she walked through the streets. Mal was sure she saw Hades in the shadows and wondered if he knew what had happened. In her distracted state, she bumped into Harry. _

"_Look who-" he started, his voice filled with venom. But then he suddenly stopped. _

_Mal knew why. She had jumped back instantly at the contact and looked up at him with fearful and tearful eyes. It took her too long to put her mask back on. _

"_Are you okay, Mal?" Gil asked, concerned. He had always been kind to her, even once they were enemies - but he was kind to everybody. _

_Mal couldn't stop the tears that started to fall down her cheeks. She went to turn away, to get out of here quickly, but Harry caught her arm - making her jump - and pulled her to him. The second his arms came around her protectively she broke down fully. She knew that he was moving, taking her with him, but didn't look up from where her head was buried against his chest. Her hold on him didn't weaken either. _

_When she had calmed down and composed herself, she had found that it was just her and Harry in a secluded location. That freaked her out slightly and she pulled back from him. Her back hit the wall behind her harshly and she exhaled in pain. _

"_Mal?" Harry uttered softly. _

_Great. More tears. Mal set her glance to the floor. _

"_What happened?"_

_She shook her head. _

_He ventured a few steps forward. She watched in hidden fear as his shadow got closer before he tilted her head up to look at him. "I won't hurt you."_

_Mal nodded and took a breath. "I know."_

"...And I spent the rest of the day and night with him. Heading straight to school in the morning. You didn't realise I wasn't around for the whole day. Neither did Jay, Carlos, or my mother."

"What did you do at night?"

Mal gave her a look. "Not that. I was traumatised. We just… slept. I took out my pain on him."

"I can't believe that I didn't hear about you breaking down and hugging Harry!" Evie suddenly exclaimed. "That's something that should've spread across the Isle! That would have been the gossip of the year."

Mal rolled her eyes. She sobered up. "What about you?"

Evie looked questioningly for a split second before her whole face and demeanor dropped. Slowly she nodded, confirming something had happened. "I went from being in isolation at home to being friends with you and I was protected at both stages. Then we received word that we were getting off the Isle. Mollian wasn't happy about that. It happened so quick… I barely registered what happened. He did what he wanted and left."

The anger rose in Mal and she wanted to ride back to the Isle right now and beat Mollian to a pulp. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"He came into my house. I wasn't safe at home in the middle of the night when my mum was home."

"I'd have killed him."

Evie shrugged. "It's done. Over. He's on the Isle and we're safe here."

Mal was fuming and held onto Evie's hand tighter, realising that they were still connected. "You should have told me, E."

"Like you told me?"

"That was different?"

"How?"

"Because Patrick is dead and Mollian isn't!"

The girls froze as they heard movement, fully aware that they had raised their voices exponentially. Jay walked out off the bushes nearby and Mal knew he let himself be heard. By the dark expression on his face, Mal knew he had heard at least some of the conversation but she wasn't sure how much.

"How long have you been there?" Evie questioned.

Jay's glare didn't relax. "Long enough."

Evie stood up suddenly, pulling her hand from Mal's. "You had _no_ right to eavesdrop!" she exclaimed, back-handedly hitting Jay around the face before storming off.

Mal jumped up at the slap but didn't take off after her. She looked at Jay. "How much did you hear?"

"The end of yours. How you broke down to Harry."

"And all of Evie's."

Jay nodded, his expression still incredibly dark. "You should have told me."

"He didn't live past his _attempt_." Mal stepped towards him. "You shouldn't have eavesdropped. But most importantly, you shouldn't have let Evie know you heard that."

He had the decency to let the shame wash over his face. "I'm going to kill him."

"Get in line."

"You're engaged to the King. I'll kill him."

Mal decided to not argue with him. She nodded. "Did you ever…" she trailed off.

Jay understood the question. There were many implications that came with it. "No. Not even once." He took a breath. "Never even in my thoughts. Plus, my father always told me that we had to get together."

Her eyes widened in shock. "I didn't know that. My mum never said anything of that sort."

"I never liked you in that way anyway."

"Good otherwise this conversation would be incredibly awkward."

His expression didn't ease up but he slung an arm over her shoulders and they walked back to the castle together. "Can you imagine if we had a kid together?"

Mal pursed her lips in thought. "He'd… be an amazing climber, and always in trouble."

Jay let out a short laugh.

* * *

**A/N. Thank you very much for reading! **

**A huge thank you to Kat and OceanBlueSeaEyes for reviewing the previous chapter!**

**Next chapter: Mal is back in school and is faced with something she hadn't been expecting: Exams. Does all the stress get to her?**


	15. Environmental Scars

**Environmental Scars**

* * *

When Mal had finally gotten back to classes - it was Friday. It was laughable to think that she only had that day before the weekend even though she hadn't been to class in just under a week. She was surprised to learn that two of the classes had tests. She was not prepared. Sitting in absolute silence and answering questions was not what she thought the day would bring, but she didn't complain.

Her other lessons comprised of revising for her tests the following week. It seemed she returned right in time to do all of her end of year exams and she didn't even realise. Did Ben know?

That night after dinner she found herself in the library. She smiled as Harry joined her. He had only two books with him which seemed strange seeing as she had eleven books surrounding her. "Hey."

"Hi."

Harry set himself up. "Why am I not doing tests?"

Mal gave him a confused look before she remembered. "Oh! As you haven't been here long we thought it best to not test you so soon. I forgot to talk to everybody yesterday. We think it would be better if you stayed at Auradon Prep over summer to study and catch up. As this should be your last year here, you can take your tests later on in the summer, or if you wanted, continue with school next year with Carlos and take them at the end of next year instead."

"When do I need to decide?"

"Whether to stay during the summer?"

"When to take the exams." he corrected. "I'd rather stay here than return to the Isle."

Mal smiled. That was easy. She had expected a big fight from Harry. "I think during summer; they're willing to adapt to whatever is best for you."

He nodded. The two of them worked in near silence. Mal answered a few academic questions he had asked, a lot of them to do with what specific words meant from a book he was reading.

"Half an hour until we close," the librarian informed them before disappearing into her office.

Mal looked at the time and realised that one, she was right, and two, the library was empty apart from her and Harry. "I guess it's time to head back to our rooms," she said, already closing her books.

"Mal," Harry started. "How would you kiss somebody here in Auradon?"

Mal was take-back by the question. "What?"

He let out a small chuckle as he packed away his two books. "It's clear that grabbing somebody, slamming them against the wall, and kissing them isn't allowed here. So… how are you supposed to initiate a kiss? Ask them?"

"That's one way." His expression was amusing. He looked as if she'd confirmed the strangest myth in the world. "Another way would be to go slowly."

"Slowly?"

Mal finished packing up her books as she thought of how to explain. "Yes. Slowly. Making them fully aware of your intentions and giving them plenty of time to pull back, stop you, or say no."

He nodded. "So… stepping closer to them," he asked as he followed his own words and was by herself. He leant closer and picked up her bag for her, making her second-guess her initial reaction to push him away. "Looking at them."

"Right." Her eyes involuntarily glanced down at his lips as he spoke and then back up to his eyes.

"Moving her hair from her face," he spoke once again completing the action. His eyes dropped to her lips a split second before lightly pressing his lips to hers.

Mal tensed. She had told him how to go about kissing somebody - had she encouraged him to kiss her? She hadn't pushed him away, said no, or even stepped back. That's when he would have stopped, she was sure. Yet, their lips were connected. When his hand came up to her jaw she felt herself kiss him back. This was a mistake. But it felt so right. She almost forgot that they weren't on the Isle for a few seconds before stepping back and breaking the kiss.

"Like that?"

"Yes," she confirmed before clearing her throat. "Never kiss me again, though. I'm-"

"...with Ben," he finished. Harry picked up his bag with her. "You didn't stop me. I'm not going to give up on us so easily."

Mal stood there and watched him walk out of the room. Her fingers came to her lips and she cursed herself. She could not let that happen again.

* * *

The weekend had been rather uneventful. Mal spent nearly her entire time in the library. During her time there she managed to see every single VK and spoke to them about the coming summer. All of them were happy to remain at Auradon Prep. Surprisingly the twins were the most hesitant. Mal didn't mention anything about the potential scenario that the barrier would never be opened again but thankfully she had some time to buy before having to disclose that or for Ben to make a final decision.

Both nights, Mal and Harry walked back to their rooms together, him always carrying her bag. They mainly talked about school and their summer plans. Mal hadn't mentioned that she was spending most of her time with Ben just that she wouldn't be there the entire summer. She hadn't confirmed with Ben regarding summer yet.

Even with the time spent alone together, Harry had not made any advances on her. Mal was glad about it, though she wanted to prove that she'd push him away if he did. Despite this, a very small part of her missed the closeness. Rationally, she knew it was because she was missing Ben.

"See you tomorrow," Harry said, handing her her bag before walking off.

"Bye," she replied before walking straight into her room and stopping short at Evie and Doug making out on Evie's bed.

The two teens jumped apart suddenly as Mal dropped her bag onto the floor loudly and covered her eyes.

"Don't you knock!"

"It's my room!" Mal responded loudly before opening the door. "I'll be back later… much, much later." With a shudder, she quickly left the room and called Ben.

"_Hello." _He sounded distracted.

"I hope this isn't a bad time."

"_Mal! Of course not. Are you okay?"_

Mal looked to the closed door and walked off. "Yeah… just caught Evie and Doug making out in our room."

There was silence for a second. "_Can I call you back in a few minutes?"_

"Sure," Mal replied with a sigh as she hung up. She walked around for a while before sitting on a ledge and looking out at the surroundings. Mal had almost lost hope that he was going to call her back when her phone rang. "Hello."

"_Hi. Sorry about that," _he instantly apologised. "_Like full-on making out?"_

Mal laughed at his ability to pick up the conversation the second they had ended it. "It was gross. Please tell me we don't look like that when we kiss."

His laughter came through the phone. And even though he was teasing her, she instantly felt relaxed at the sound of it. "_We don't look like that."_

"Liar," she laughed. "Are you still working?"

"_I was. My dad was teaching me about the finances of running the school and managing the scholarships."_

Mal didn't care about that stuff but wanted to be informed, mainly so Ben didn't feel like he couldn't talk to her about what was going on. "Scholarships?" she asked, repeating the last word.

"_For the VKs. Obviously they don't pay for the school like everybody else; it's funded by the royal family."_

That got her attention, her back straightening. "Really?"

He made a sound of confirmation. "_We have received a lot of donations. You're a big part of that, they want to support the VKs because one is going to be their Queen."_

"I never thought about that."

"_I miss you."_

The sudden change of conversation threw her a moment. "I miss you too. I wish you were here… and not just so you can help with me maths."

He laughed again. "_I have to take my exams in an empty room at the same time you are all taking them. I'm really considering just coming back to school this week to complete them there instead."_

"Do it. I could definitely do with a few hundred good-luck kisses." She could feel his smile through the phone. "I guess I could always kiss Jay instead."

Silence. "_Jay?"_

"What? Should I go to Carlos? Or Evie? I know… Doug. Evie enjoys them."

"_Are you trying to make me jealous?"_

Mal couldn't help but laugh. "Is it working?"

She heard him say yes when one of the campus guards walked up to her. "Excuse me, Miss. It's curfew. I strongly request you return to your dorm before I escort you there personally."

Mal hesitated at his tone. It was not a friendly tone.

"_Who was that? I don't like how they're talking to you. Put them on the phone."_

"No," she said to Ben.

"No?" the guard replied. "I was hoping you'd say that." He took ahold of her arm and pulled her off the ledge.

Mal couldn't help the gasp that left her as she held onto her phone against her ear like a lifeline. "Let go of me!"

"_Mal!"_

With one hand, she quickly put Ben on the loudspeaker.

"_What's going on?"_

"You're on speaker. The guard is physically pulling me towards the dorms."

"_By order of the King, i.e. me, I demand you release my fiancee immediately."_ Mal waited for the guard to listen to Ben. He did not. "_Mal?"_ Ben questioned a moment later.

At him using her name, the guard faltered and looked at her properly, his eyes mainly on her hair before releasing her. "Straight to your dorm."

Mal gulped and nodded. "I'm going, I'm going," she repeated as she quickly walked towards her dorm. "I didn't know that the guards would drag you around the school if you were out past curfew."

"_They're not supposed to. Who was it?"_

"I don't know his name," she admitted, looking behind her before taking him off speakerphone.

She heard him sigh. "_Are you okay?"_

Mal looked down at her arm; there wasn't even a red mark. "I'm fine. Just surprised. He didn't hurt me, it was more guiding me towards my room."

"_I still don't like anybody touching you."_

Mal could tell that this was going to be an issue going forward. Surely Ben had full faith in all guards, including campus guards, to not hurt anybody. She never heard him sound so protective of her. Unfortunately, she had given him more than one reason to be concerned for her wellbeing and knew that it might take him a while to relax. He had been fine when she was in his castle, happily letting her go anywhere and do anything she wanted. "Oh!" she suddenly said, almost making herself jump at her own voice. It was loud. "I just remembered something."

"_What?"_ Ben asked, on high alert.

"I'd love to spend most of the summer with you at your castle. Of course, I want to be here for a week or two to support the VKs, they're all remaining. Evie is moving into her starter castle, Carlos was planning on staying here for the majority of it anyway. And Jay is going with the flow before he heads off to Auradon College." She entered her dorm as she finished off and rolled her eyes at Doug and Evie once again jumping away from each other, looking utterly embarrassed.

It took a few moments for Ben to reply and she wondered briefly if she had said something wrong. "_That's great! Did you know which weeks? How about right now?"_

Mal let out a laugh. "Not right now, Ben. Exams are this week, remember? I don't think Auradon would like an uneducated Queen. Carlos is going to let me know when he and Jane are heading off for a little adventure and then I'll know roughly when I want to be here and when I can be with you."

"Uh… I should go," Doug said, rather loudly.

"_Who's that?"_

Mal smirked. "Oh, Evie has a late-night guest. Remember?"

Ben laughed through the phone. "_He's still there?"_

"Yep. They were making out again."

"Mal! Don't tell Ben that!" Evie exclaimed, her cheeks reddening.

Doug cleared his throat. "I'll see you tomorrow." He quickly left the room before things became more embarrassing. The King knowing about the encounter had definitely made Doug more humiliated.

Mal tried to hold back her laughter as Evie set a glare on her. "Alright, Ben. I'm going to go and get some sleep. I love you."

"_I love you too. Sleep well_."

"Dream of me," she said before hanging up and looking at Evie innocently. "Fun night? I thought you'd be revising."

Evie rolled her eyes and grabbed out her pyjamas. "What were you doing out all night?" she countered.

Mal chuckled. "Revising in the library. Then after I caught you two, I called Ben and spoke to him before a guard ushered me back here. You made me late for curfew."

The blue-haired girl was unapologetic. "You would have done the same thing."

"I'd have gone to _his_ dorm."

"Doug shares with his cousin. We don't all have the advantage of our other halves having a room to themselves."

Mal began to change into her pyjamas and sent a look to Evie. "Other half? Are you saying you're incomplete without Doug?"

Evie's cheeks reddened and she turned away. "I didn't say that. I just meant you weren't here and I'd rather be caught by you than snoopy."

"That's his name?"

"No… but it should be."

With a roll of her eyes, Mal climbed into bed. "Just don't make me late for curfew again, okay?"

"Okay." Evie climbed into her own bed. "Goodnight M."

"Night E."

* * *

Mal groaned as she placed her head on the table.

"Careful! Your hair is getting in my food!" Carlos complained, moving his tray out of the way.

"I hate exams!"

She heard a few laughs. "You can't get out of them, M."

Mal made another sound of complaint but didn't comment, nor did she lift her head.

"They aren't that bad," Evie spoke softly. "I actually found the Maths one rather e-"

"If you say easy, I will hurt you," Mal grumbled before lifting her head and stealing some of Evie's chips. "Three exams. _Three_!"

She looked around at everybody's amused faces. She knew she was being rather ridiculous, but she actually enjoyed the atmosphere being created. Everybody was so carefree. And Carlos, who had looked very down after taking one of the exams, was now smiling. It turns out, he was taking half of his exams this year and the other half next year. Mal couldn't even be bothered to remember why. Her brain was fried. And tomorrow she had two exams in science. _Two. In science._ This was torture.

"Evie…"

"Yes, M?"

"Will you study with me tonight?"

She leant into Evie as her friend's arm came around her. "All night if we have to."

Just as Mal was about to respond, she saw Ben walk into the food hall and instantly jumped up. Almost knocking Evie off her chair in the process and ran straight over to him.

Ben's arms instantly wrapped around as they embraced. "Missed me?"

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

A teasing smile made its way to his lips. "I was hoping Evie would help me revise."

Mal let out a laugh. "She's mine," she muttered before pulling him in for a kiss. She pulled back after a few seconds, knowing that they were supposed to be professional and not too handsy in public. After all, he was the King.

"How did you find the exams?"

A groan instantly left her lips and she headbutted his chest in frustration. "I hate exams."

She felt his hand glide up from her back to her head as she chuckled. "Just one week, then it'll all be over."

"I wish it was over now," Mal admitted before looking back up at him. "Running away with you doesn't sound like a bad plan now."

He grinned at her. "Too late. You had your chance."

Her hand slid down his arm to take his hand. "How long are you staying for?"

"Hopefully, I can take the rest of my exams here. My last one is on Thursday."

Mal's look darkened. "Then why do I have exams on Friday?"

Another laugh left his lips as she placed a soft kiss on her temple. "I took a few of my exams last year."

That seemed to be a pattern. Jay had told her that Lonnie didn't have to do the Maths exam because she did it last year.

"Do I need to be educated?"

"It's just one week. You can do it."

"Doesn't mean I want to," she remarked softly before pulling him over to the table.

Carlos instantly moved over one chair to allow Ben to sit next to Mal. Ben looked confused. "Where's your food, Mal?"

"She was too busy headbutting the table to get food," Carlos so helpfully supplied.

Ben stood back up. "I'll get you something."

Mal followed suit. "I'll come with."

The two of them walked off together, hand-in-hand. Mal just knew that she wouldn't be able to focus on revising tonight with Ben around. But she didn't even care.

* * *

Mal had her eyes closed with her head on Ben's lap as she listened to Evie explaining variations for the second time. Ben's hands were playing with her hair and it was so difficult to stay awake.

"So… give me some examples of environmental causes of variation," Evie asked openly.

Ben took a breath before answering, giving the posh answer. He was always so articulate it could be annoying sometimes. "The flower colour in hydrangeas. This is because in acidic soil the plants would be blue, however, in alkaline soil, they'd be pink."

"Perfect. Mal?"

"Accents, language someone speaks, and scars."

"Why scars?" Ben questioned.

Mal waited for Evie to answer straight away but nothing came. "It's just like how I have scars because I grew up on the Isle - that was my environment, and you don't have scars because you were brought up in Auradon."

Her fiance's hands stilled. "You have scars?"

Mal now understood why Evie hadn't answered. While that had been the perfect example, it wasn't something that either of them wanted to discuss - Mal specifically, but Evie didn't want Ben to find out something about herself before Doug. She opened her eyes and looked up at Ben. "Yeah… do you?"

He shook his head confirming her thoughts.

"See? Environmental causes of variation."

Evie cleared her throat, attempting to gain their attention but Ben was thoroughly distracted now, his eyes travelling over her body. "Right, let's move on to genetic and environmental causes together." She paused. "Mal?"

Mal looked at her friend and let out a sigh. "Uhm… diet can counteract genetics."

"That's right," Evie said hesitantly. "Ben?"

He wasn't even looking at her. "What scars?"

A groan left Mal as she sat up and turned to face him. "Can't we wait until after exams to discuss this?"

"I didn't know you had been-"

A knock at the door made Mal immediately jump up and rush over to it. She did not like how Ben was unable to let it go. At least she only had herself to blame for Ben finding out. With a breath, she swung the door open to see Harry and Celia standing there. "Hi."

Celia gave her a sweet and innocent smile. That's when Mal knew she'd done something wrong and only had to glare at her. "He gave me it willingly!"

"Do either of you have scars?" Ben asked, appearing behind Mal.

"Is bread on the Isle stale?" Celia answered indirectly.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Everybody has scars."

"Not in Auradon, they don't," Mal informed him, making his gaze darken for a split second before it went blank - he was getting good at that.

Celia, however, wasn't even tempted to hold back her expression of absolute shock as she walked into the room. "They don't? That's ridiculous!" She examined Ben as if he wasn't a foreign object. "What about when they get attacked? Or get into fights? Do they just-"

Mal rested a hand on Celia's shoulder to stop. "This is Auradon. People don't get attacked, remember."

"Oh… right…" she slowly said.

"Now… get out of here before I ask what you did."

Celia's eyes widened and she instantly took to the door. "Bye!"

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Why are you so interested in scars?" he asked Ben accusingly. "Not trying to make Mal spell hers away are you?"

"What? No!" Ben quickly stuttered out, surprised by the tone directed at him. "Whatever scars she has is fine with me!"

"Good. Because all of them tell a story."

"Let's all just take a breath," Evie said stepping between the two boys. "We're supposed to be revising for our science exam tomorrow."

Ben nodded and returned to Mal's bed, sitting down and looking over his notes. He glanced up a few times, keeping an eye on Mal who was still standing by the door.

Mal turned her attention to Harry. "Why'd you come here?"

"Celia was too chicken to fess up to conning Doug out of £20."

"What!?" Evie instantly walked out of the room. Whether she was going to find Doug or Celia was unknown. It was probably the latter to get the money back.

Mal rolled her eyes at the dramatics and pushed Harry's arm away as his hook slung around her hip. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Remember that scar?" he asked with a crazed-wide-eyed look directed at Ben. "I hooked her in bed."

With that, Mal shoved him out of the room and slammed the door shut. Taking in a deep breath, she turned around and walked over to her bed, sitting down opposite Ben. He had a confused look on his face and looked at her questioning. "He'd grab people with his hook to pull them towards him or swing them out of the way. It's not actually the sharpest hook but it can draw blood."

"And he did that in bed?"

She nodded. She had no intention of lying to him… simply, holding back information.

It was clear he was processing this. "Because you two used to be close."

Another nod.

"But you didn't date?"

Unfortunately, a simple shake of the head wasn't accurate. "Dating didn't really happen on the Isle. But if I compare it with Auradon, then what we did was classified as dating… but in secret."

It was his turn to nod. "Though you never loved him."

"I…" she hesitated. He noticed. "I was never _in_ love with him," she said feebly. "But at the time I did love him."

That seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. He slipped off the bed and began to pace. "You said before that you never loved him."

Mal turned to face him, deciding to remain on the bed. "There were too many people there. Your parents, Fairy Godmother, the guards."

"Then you should have told me afterwards!" It was blatant that his anger was rising. He was getting very agitated and Mal wasn't sure what to do. The only thing she could do was to be as honest as possible right now.

Unfortunately, her anger rose with his. "When? When you left for your castle without me, without even saying goodbye after I had been attacked? How about when I was at your castle for _two_ nights and you barely had any time for me, even though you had invited me?"

Ben's attention snapped to her. "There are some things that I should know! Not when it comes up in conversation. You should have told me that you loved Harry when you invited him at the very least! What else haven't you told me?"

"I was there for sixteen years, Ben. I do not have enough time to tell you everything that happened!" she shouted, now standing up too. This was ridiculous. "You want to know everything? Are you sure that you want to know _everything?_"

"Yes!" was his immediate response.

"Fine!" She took a deep breath to calm herself down and to not shout everything out. "Let's start with my Dad abandoning when I was a baby." She paused, surprised with how calm her voice came out. That seemed to have stunned Ben into silence too. "The first memories I have are of my mum shouting at me for being weak and useless. I was kicked out of the house several times if I was too much of a nuisance, locked out until the following day until I taught myself to climb in through the window. Adults used to target me for the first few years when I was alone to get back at my mother because she was in charge. That included four-year-old being thrown against a wall and being chased down the streets. That dwindled when I was fully incorporated with my first crew - Harry, Uma, Gil, and the pirates. I don't remember how I got two of my scars, I was too young to even retain the memory. School celebrated the past evils of the villains and we were taught how to follow in their footsteps and how to be bad."

"Stop," Ben said softly, trying to catch her hands.

Mal pulled away from him violently and pulled up her top. "This scar was from a sword. I was ten. Mitch wanted to join us but Harry said no, so Mitch - who was _sixteen_ grabbed a sword and attacked us. I wasn't the only one who was injured that day and the only reason he stopped was because Hook intervened when Harry was slashed across the leg! This scar…"

"Stop. Mal… stop!" he insisted.

"...was from being thrown into a merchant's stand…"

"Stop."

Mal paused. This could ruin her relationship, but if he found out from anybody else, it would be worse. "Harry and I have slept together on the Isle. We've had sex."

Suddenly, her fiance froze. Staring at her in a daze. It looked as though he wasn't able to comprehend what she had just told him.

The silence and tension built up between them. "If you can't handle that, I suggest you leave."

Still, he remained frozen on the spot until Evie walked back into the room.

"That Celia is going to be the death of me," she complained before realising something was wrong. "Everything okay?"

Ben's attention snapped to Evie before he looked down. "I need to think," he uttered and headed for the door.

"Does this change anything?" Mal called after him, her worst fear coming to reality.

He paused, his hand on the handle. "I don't know," he admitted. His voice shaking. He barely glanced back and she could tell that he was more upset about the information than anything. Without even making eye contact with her, he left.

Mal stared at the door, willing him to come back in. She knew he wasn't going to though. As she felt the tears welling up in her eyes, she quickly shut down all of her emotions and threw all of the science books off her bed and onto the floor. Then, while ignoring Evie's voice of concerns, she changed into her pyjamas and got into bed. As she knew she couldn't stop the tears, Mal pulled the covers over her head and ended up crying herself to sleep after Evie had given up and gone to bed herself.

* * *

**A/N. Thank you for reading! It's been a bit of a wait, my apologies. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. **

**Was drama awaits?**


	16. Alcohol is not permitted

**Alcohol is not permitted**

* * *

The following day, Mal kept to herself. She was actually grateful for the exams because it meant that nobody could talk to her. Her focus wasn't as good as it should have been at times, but being able to sink into the work and ignore everything and everyone around her was actually a blessing. Hopefully, her scores wouldn't be awful.

She barely saw Ben; the only time they occupied the same space was during the actual exam. Then again, she had avoided the food hall. Mal picked at her dinner throughout the evening as she studied for the next days' exams.

Evie arrived after dinner with a box of food, giving Mal more to pick at. They both studied together and Mal ignored all attempts to talk about what happened yesterday with Ben. Opening her mouth was what put her in this situation, and she wasn't about to make the same mistake. It always ended in pain.

When night time came, Mal no longer had any distractions. She barely slept. Her mind was riddled with terrible thoughts. A part of her was sure that Ben would dump her for sure. She wouldn't even blame him. She was worthless, and a disappointment; she was not worth his love. And would never amount to anything in life because she was weak.

Wednesday morning came and Mal simply repeated the previous day.

Thursday started off the same. However, as she was studying for her final exams for Friday somebody knocked on her bedroom door. Mal _knew_ it was Ben by the way that he knocked.

Evie didn't hesitate to get up and open the door.

"Can I have a moment with Mal?"

Without a word, Evie nodded and left the room.

Ben seemed to hesitate before closing the door and stepping further into the room. Mal looked up and gave him her full attention. "I wanted to say goodbye. I'm heading back to the castle in a few minutes."

Mal wasn't sure what to say. There was still so much tension between the two of them and, even though they had been physically closer than they had the weeks prior, she never felt so far from him. "Tell your parents I said hi."

He nodded but didn't leave.

Him simply standing there brought all of her feelings to the surface and she was at a loss for what to do. Part of her wanted to scream at him for not instantly forgiving her. After all, it had occurred on the Isle, it's not like she cheated on him. Then again… she hadn't told him about the kiss. "Ben…" she started slowly, causing him to look at her. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"I know," he replied softly.

That's when Mal realised that he didn't know how to react either. She had blatantly avoided him since telling him and never really gave him the chance to bump into her. He'd had to seek her out to even say goodbye. Of course, her dorm wasn't exactly hiding, but it was staying out of public view. She bit her lip. "If I could change the past…" she started but was surprised when he interrupted her.

"I don't want you to change the past, because it made you who you are today," he told her sincerely. "I just need time to work out how to process everything you've told me."

That was reasonable. "Okay."

He visibly hesitated. "Can I ask you something?"

She nodded.

"Do you still have any feelings for Harry?"

Mal opened her mouth and froze. That was all he needed to jump to conclusions - probably the right conclusion.

"Never mind," he said, stopping her from replying. "Bye Mal."

Instantly, Mal jumped up and tried to stop him from leaving. "Ben, wait!" By the time she caught up with him, they were in the hallway. "I don't have…"

"It's fine," he said, interrupting her again. "I really do have to go."

Deflated, she let him go. After a few minutes, she returned to her room and continued to study. This felt like the worst week of her life.

Half an hour later, Evie returned. She entered the room slowly before walking straight over and sitting on Mal's bed. "I've waited long enough. Tell me what's going on."

"I think Ben might break up with me."

"What? That's absurd! He loves you."

Mal sighed. "I told him about me and Harry sleeping together on the Isle, amongst a few other things." She leant against the backboard of her bed and watched Evie's expression go through at least five emotions before she settled on understanding.

Evie reached forward and took her hand. "He'll come around. Ben knows that it's all in the past, it all happened before you met him."

"He asked if I still had feelings for Harry," she informed her friend before looking down guiltily. "I didn't answer him."

"Do you?"

Mal's green eyes met Evie's brown eyes. "I'm honestly not sure. There are moments with Harry where everything just feels so right. He knows me. It's sometimes easier because I don't have this crazy secret past looming over me with Harry, he knows everything." She paused before correcting herself. "Nearly everything." A loud sigh left her lips. "But I _love_ Ben and want to spend my future with him."

Evie waited a few moments before speaking. "What are you going to do?"

"Study. And then after that, I'll hang out with you and all of the VKs until we officially break up from school. Hopefully by then, Ben is ready to talk to me."

Mal looked up at Evie and attempted a small smile before looking down at her textbook. "What's partitioning?"

Within a second, Evie had started to explain and they both fell into the pattern of revising. This was comfortable. This was a good distraction. This would all end tomorrow afternoon - then Mal would have to deal with everything that was going on. She wasn't looking forward to that at all.

* * *

The final exam had been completed. It was now a waiting game to find out if she had passed everything. The thought that she might have failed all of her exams was plaguing her mind. Would she be forced to retake them? Mal let those worrying thoughts fill her as she walked around the campus.

Unfortunately, it wasn't too long before her mind moved onto more depressing things: Ben. Had she completely ruined things with him? Should she had kept her mouth shut? Mal knew that she couldn't change the past but she could have changed how she told Ben.

There were still many things that happened on the Isle that she wasn't sure if it was necessary that she told him. Most of it seemed irrelevant to her. However, he had been so angry at her. That she could handle. It was the silence that came afterwards. It was impossible to know what he was thinking.

He had come back to her, though. That was something she clung onto to.

Mal shook her head, wanting to distract herself from these thoughts. They weren't helping.

Her hand grazed over a wall and she looked over at the Isle of the Lost. In a lot of ways, life was so much easier there. She knew what to expect and who she was. She was the daughter of Maleficent and would one day be her equal. She knew now that that would never have come true. Her mother would never have been proud of her.

Feeling the smooth surface of the wall, Mal climbed up and sat on top of it. It was a very quick climb as the wall was shorter than herself, but offered her a bit of satisfaction. Climbing had never been applicable at Auradon. She knew that some students had mentioned climbing mountains, but that never appealed to her.

As she looked across the clear blue water towards the dirty, clouded Isle, she began to realise how much she missed it. The explosions of colour over the dismal, disgusting buildings. There was so much self-expression there, instead of the carbon copies that were created here. Bold colours compared with pastels.

The expectations of being evil were easier at times than being good. If you messed up being bad, then you could recover easily… probably with a new scar or a new target. If you were called weak, you attacked that person to prove your strength. That didn't happen here; if you slipped up at being good or just, you were in trouble and that stigma stuck with you forever. Mal knew that Harry would always be judged by those who knew he'd attacked her while here. That wasn't fair and was something she knew she shouldn't be thinking about. That's how Auradon worked.

Her eyes lingered over the shore of the Isle. It seemed so far away, so foreign. It was strange to think that that used to be her home. In the past, she thought that it would be her home forever - there were so many plans that she made which have been wiped away when she was brought to Auradon. There was no chance for her to run into her Dad again; she couldn't prove to him that she was the strongest and that she was worth his attention. When she was there, she didn't care what he thought but she was curious about what he thought of her now. Suddenly, her mind went back to Ben - how would he react if he found out Hades was her father? And would he allow him to attend their wedding… if there was a wedding. Mal knew the answer to that - Hades wouldn't be allowed to attend. Ben would have both of his parents and she'd have neither.

With a sigh, Mal let her eyes run over the Isle, imagining she was back there again, running around and causing mischief. Parading around with her crew. Squaring up against somebody bigger than her and winning. That was her life, once upon a time. It was a strange thought that that felt like the normal life and the one she was living was a dream. On the Isle, dreams were filled with fear and terror, those who dared to dream got burnt. Mal had never admitted any dream she had that wouldn't fit her mothers' plan, but living without fear had always been an ambition of hers. For a long time, that entailed being the most feared.

Mal jumped when two hands planted themselves on the wall next to her. Followed very quickly by Harry effortlessly jumping up and sitting next to her.

"That looks so dismal," he commented instantly, looking over at the Isle.

She let out a very short laugh. "When did you learn the word dismal?"

He scoffed. "I listen in class."

That was the most understated response if there ever was one. He had been here just over a month and was talking in a more articulate way. That was simply weird. "Teacher's pet."

"Says you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He finally looked at her, raising a brow. "You were always focused on school on the Isle. Barely even skipped it."

Mal rolled her eyes at the memories. "Learning to be evil was more important."

"And now?"

She looked at him. How could she not understand what he was going on about or why he seemed to be challenging her. "We're expected to go to school here. Unlike you, I shouldn't have to go again."

He gave her a perplexed look. "I thought we had another week?"

"We do. But for those who have done all their exams… it's less school and more of a time to socialise. You probably won't get much done in classes."

"Then summer school starts… what a stupid thing, school in summer."

Mal pursed her lips. The way he said it made it sound like the craziest idea that had ever been thought of. "Prefer to be back on the Isle?" she questioned.

With a shake of his head, he turned to face her more directly. "If I went back to the Isle for summer, then I'd miss out on getting a proper education here and then wouldn't fit into the community. At least, that's what Jay told me. They value this… weirdly varied education system and it can determine your whole future. Besides, the Isle's crap. The only reason I'd go back is to see Gil, my father, my sister, and my brother. But you already knew that." He paused, glancing at the cloud-covered place. "Would you go back?"

She slowly nodded. "I liked my life on the Isle, I didn't want to come here. I had returned to it once - remember?" She looked down at her engagement ring. "But at the same time, coming to Auradon has changed my life for the better and I wouldn't change a thing. I'm so thankful that my mother forced me to come here and I was given the chance. For the first time, I feel completely safe, healthy, and happy." She paused and looked at him. "But I do miss the Isle."

He looked very distracted as his eyes grazed over the shores of the Isle, his lips moving as if he was going through more than one emotion. "I don't miss it." Harry then turned his undivided attention to her. "That's why I'm doing everything I can to not be sent back there. Attending every lesson and listening to what they say, revising every night until I'm forced to go back to my room, reading books from the library to improve my vocabulary, keeping to myself to not offend anyone. You've been here too long to remember how lucky you are and how many children are still stuck on the Isle being attacked and neglected. It's also why I'm doing my best to keep my feelings for you a secret and not to talk about what happened over there."

"Not talk about what happened? You told Belle I was thrown off a building. And that we all have scars and get raped."

He looked stunned at her sudden raised voice directed at him. "That was in my speech of why I shouldn't be sent back to the Isle. Those were three things I mentioned, I only mentioned you once." He paused, gauging her reaction. "It was to Belle… her husband and Fairy Godmother." The second pause wasn't as long. "Were you ever raped?"

His tone was different on the last sentence. There was genuine concern and anger there. She shook her head and felt him relax beside her. "There were a few attempts and one really close encounter. But no, that never happened to me."

"Good."

Mal cleared her throat and swung her legs around, jumping off the wall. "Come on, let's go find the others."

He complied and jumped down with more grace than she had before they walked off together.

* * *

Mal watched in utter amusement as Doug and Evie interacted. They were discussing fashion and how they could continue their business from Evie's starter castle. The amusing part was the odd glances she received from Evie telling Mal to go away.

Mal simply made kissy faces at her friend, being a barrier to stopping the make-out session she knew her friend desperately wanted. After a good twenty minutes, the purple-haired girl stood up. "I'm going to walk around. See you both later."

"Finally," Evie replied, gaining a strange look from Doug. "She mentioned that walk hours ago. She was going to lose time," she lied.

Mal laughed as she left her room and made her way outside. She passed Poca and Nate running around - they must have been playing some sort of game. As she continued her travels, she saw a certain pirate alone staring out at the Isle. It was a sight mirroring her own from the day before. "Missing it?"

He shook his head and looked up at her. "Reflecting."

"Reflecting," she repeated.

Harry rolled his eyes as she sat down. "Do you remember the last thing we said to each other before you left?"

Mal did not want to have this conversation. "Probably _bye_," she remarked.

He let out a disheartened huff. "Why'd you say it?"

She really needed to stop spending alone time with him. "At the time, it felt right. And it was true."

"You said you'd tell me what happened between us being together and you falling for Ben."

Mal crossed her legs. She had promised him that. There was no time like the present to answer the questions he had in his mind. The only problem was she wasn't entirely sure how to tell him. Silence filled the gap between them for several minutes, neither of them speaking. Eventually, Mal decided she had to tell him something. "I wasn't even aware of it happening at first. I was so focused on getting the wand and did anything to get it. I had spelled Ben and pretended to be infatuated with him to complete the mission. The more time I spent with him, the more I fell - I didn't admit it for the longest time. He admitted that the spell had washed off early on in us 'dating' and still wanted us to be together. So we were. Even then I wasn't aware of how close we were, I was convinced it was all for the mission despite my body screaming at me telling me I just wasn't paying attention." She paused to look at his blank expression. A small sigh left her lips. "I was still committed to being with you. Then he gave me his class ring and I realised I _wanted_ to wear it, I didn't mind who knew that we were together. I didn't intend to fall for him. In a lot of ways I'm still falling for him."

"When did he beat me?"

Hesitation filled her. "I don't know. One day you were all I thought about… and the next it was Ben. It's a lot more with him than what we had." She paused again, this time because she was debating with herself. "I know in my heart that we could have worked though, Harry. I am sorry that I lost sight of that because now it's too late."

Harry stood up. "Thanks for telling me," he said before looking at her. "You know, we could still work if it wasn't for Ben." With that comment, he walked off.

Mal let out a heavy sigh and turned her gaze to the Isle.

* * *

Mal read the text from Ben. It was a reply to her own, asking how he was. Even when he was busy he always replied but things just seemed… colder somehow. Perhaps she was imagining it.

"You are not wearing that!" Evie announced, grabbing Mal's phone from her hands. "Change, now."

"What are you talking about?"

Evie gave her a deadpanned look. "It's party-time. In the hall. Change, now."

Mal shook her head and reached for her phone. "I'm not going."

A scoff came out of her best friend's lips immediately. "You don't have a choice. We can do this the hard way, or the easy way."

A challenging look set upon Mal's face. "What's the hard way?"

Evie smirked and started unlacing Mal's boots.

"Fine! Fine! I'll change… just don't touch me," she decided, getting off her bed. "What am I wearing?" Mal knew she wasn't actually going to be allowed to choose. She took the outfit Evie held out for her and went into the bathroom. "You're evil."

"Thanks."

* * *

Evie looked around at the streamers and decorations. It was beautiful. She had expected it to be similar to a royal function but it wasn't and that instantly made her glad. There were already many groups, couples, and individuals dancing in the middle of the floor with tables and balloons set up surrounding them. It looked like so much fun.

She looked at Mal, who was putting on a smile and linked arms with her. "This is going to be so fun. It reminds me of the Isle parties."

"That makes it worse," her friend muttered darkly.

Evie laughed and pulled them into the room. Even if Mal didn't want to, she would enjoy this party. Everybody was here, the whole school! It was amazing.

"There you are!" Doug commented as he pulled Evie into a hug.

Evie released her friend and hugged him back. "Had to make sure we were perfect."

Doug smiled genuinely at her. "You're already perfect without getting ready."

She felt her cheeks blush slightly as Mal let out a teasing laugh beside her. "Thank you, Doug."

Throughout the night, Evie spent most of her time with Doug and the VKs. It seemed that the younger VKs were much better at talking with a large amount of people, and even dancing in groups. But the original four VKs only had one or two Auradon-born individuals who they'd talk to. She wished it hadn't been that way but it was true. Everybody had settled in their friendship groups when they were children and even though Evie spoke to a lot of people generally and even made a lot of the dresses, the majority of the party wasn't spent socialising as she had expected.

Mal kept Evie replenished with drinks - every time they were a different flavour. Evie had just started drinking an orange flavoured one and quickly decided it was her favourite. Unfortunately, Doug took it out of her hands.

"What are you doing?"

"It's your fifth," he said calmly, placing it on the table and moving her away from it gently.

Evie looked at him in utter confusion. She'd never been stopped from eating or drinking before and wondered if dances were different. "Is there a limit here?"

He let out a small chuckle. "I just don't want you having a hangover tomorrow, we do have class."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her confusion growing.

"They're alcopops. Alcohol. Didn't you know?"

Evie shook her head and looked over to Mal who was on yet another different colour and texting somebody on her phone. Realisation hit her quickly as Mal's phone went to her ears. Mal had drunk at least ten of these and therefore would not be thinking straight. Evie wasn't sure how she was still thinking straight but quickly rushed away from her boyfriend and over to her best friend.

As she approached, she heard Mal speaking rather weirdly. "... and all those rules. Am I supposed to pretend I followed them my whole life? Because I've stabbed a lot of people and…"

Evie grabbed the phone from Mal, looked at the caller ID; Ben. A sigh left her as Mal attempted to grab the phone back. "No! No." She held the phone out of her friends' reach. "You will get this back tomorrow. Go and dance," she ordered.

Mal pulled a half-glare, half-'i'm not a kid' look before strutting off, not quite in a straight line. Jay was the first to her and took over taking care of her.

As she heard Ben's voice calling for Mal concerned, she lifted the phone to her ear. "Hi Ben, it's Evie."

"_Is Mal okay?"_ he asked instantly. There was a lot of rustling coming from his side and she wondered what he was doing.

"She's drunk."

All the noises stopped on his side of the phone. "_How'd you get alcohol?"_

Evie took a few seconds to understand his tone - confusion. "They were here at the party. Doug said they were alcopops when he wouldn't let me drink another one. I didn't know they were alcohol."

"_Evie," _Ben started. "_Alcohol is not permitted at Auradon Prep. Do you know who brought them?"_

Evie was suddenly concerned she was about to get Mal in trouble. "I honestly don't know. I wasn't paying much attention."

Ben let out a sigh. "_Is Mal okay?"_

Looking over to her friend who was now dancing with Harry, she let out a wince. "Yeah. Just drunk. I'll take her back to our dorm now. What did she say to you?"

"_She started the call by saying I couldn't dump her until I knew everything," _he told her remorsefully. He sounded so upset.

A sigh left her lips. "She loves you. She's been through a lot. Don't give up on her, please."

"_I won't."_

"Bye, Ben," she said, waited for his response then pocketed her best friend's phone. The blue-haired girl told Doug she needed to get Mal back to their room and he helped her. Mal was a very reluctant drunk to control - not much of a change though.

Thankfully, drunk Mal also fell asleep extremely quickly once put on her bed.

* * *

**Huge thank you for reading! **

**I hope you enjoyed the developments!**

**Thanks!**


	17. Bullseye

**Bullseye**

* * *

Mal was anxious to see Ben again in front of everybody- she was unsure of what their relationship was going to be like and didn't want to broadcast their troubles in front of the other VKs.

Ignoring the conversation filling the limousine, Mal stilled her expression and stared out the window. She watched as they got closer and closer to the castle. Thankfully, nobody interrupted her- or if they had tried, she hadn't noticed.

Pulling up to the castle made her breathing stop as she was first to unbuckle her seatbelt.

"Somebody's eager," Jay teased.

"Shut up," she shot back, opening the door before the driver had the chance and stepping out. She didn't see Jay's reaction to her snapping at him but at that moment, she couldn't care less. There was too much to think about right now, and someone else's feelings weren't on the list.

Mal waited until all of the VKs had exited the limousine before walking over to Fairy Godmother, who was waiting at the door with Jane. They had decided to travel separately, much to Jane's dismay.

"Bibbity-Bobbity, we arrived at the same time."

Carlos passed Mal and gave Jane a hug.

"Let's not keep the royal family waiting," Fairy Godmother spoke after a moment. "Remember, this is a formal occasion; please treat it as such."

Mal furrowed her eyebrows, unsure of what the older fairy meant, but followed her in. She was mildly surprised to see Ben, Belle, and Adam ready to greet them with six of their palace staff, including Lumiere and Mrs. Potts. She instantly understood what Fairy Godmother had been referring to. Unfortunately, it was only as the other VKs slowly began to bow and curtsy at different times that she, too, dropped into a sudden curtsy. It felt weird to greet them like this; after all, most of the time they greeted each other with hugs - though, with Ben it was usually a kiss.

She caught Belle's eyes and smiled. They had a shared amusement in these odd circumstances, she could see it on the woman's face. Belle stepped forward for a hug and Mal instantly complied.

"Good afternoon."

As she broke away, Belle brought her to stand between herself and Ben before Adam spoke to the other VKs. The separation from the others of the Isle gave Mal a few mixed feelings.

"Welcome. It is a pleasure to host all of you here for the weekend. We have made plans for everybody starting after dinner. Today, please feel free to walk around and become accustomed to your surroundings. Dinner will be held in the dining room."

Mal listened carefully to Adam's words; he sounded so formal. Out of instinct, her hand subconsciously found Ben's and they both intertwined their fingers. It was only after Adam began answering questions from the VKs that she realised he hadn't pulled away from her. That was a good sign. She turned to him but he was engaged in conversation with Lumiere. Paperwork, always paperwork.

She wondered how long it would take for Ben to excuse himself.

Instead of interrupting him, she turned her attention back to Adam who was letting out a booming laugh.

"How about we show you to your rooms and we can continue these questions over dinner?"

"What's your favourite food, Your Beastliness?" Nate asked, ignoring the former King's remark.

Adam raised an eyebrow and glanced at Belle with amusement. "Let's all walk and talk," he suggested. He and Belle led them all away.

Mal almost moved to walk with them, but Harry's small glare at her and Ben's conjoined hands made her stop and stay with her fiance. She wasn't going to give her ex any reason to think there was anything bad going on with her current relationship.

It took Ben a few minutes before he turned to her. However, he didn't excuse himself as she'd expected. "Let's go talk in my room."

She nodded and they went, still hand in hand. As they entered his room, though, he released her and closed the door.

He looked resigned as he sat on his bed. Mal remained standing.

"I'm glad to see you," he told her, "but I'm still struggling to wrap my head around everything."

"You mean you don't know if you can accept my past," she corrected.

His gaze moved to her but no words left his mouth even when it opened.

This time, she did move to sit next to him, leaving a considerable gap. "If I could change the past, I would. Had I known that I was going to meet you…" she drifted off as he shook his head.

"I don't want you to change anything. I love you as you are and if you didn't go through what you did, you wouldn't be who you are," he expressed. She could tell he was being genuine but that didn't actually change anything.

Mal let out a long sigh as her eyes closed. "You say you love me and don't care about my past in one sentence and in the next say you're not sure if you can accept it."

He took in a breath. "I just-"

She stood, stopping his excuses. "You're attempting to be understanding- trying to be the good guy and accept everything I've been through and done. But you can't! If you weren't King and just a normal guy who didn't have to think of what people thought, what would you do? Would you care who I'd slept with?" He cringed. "Would you leave and never look back? Would you end things? What do you want to do, Ben?"

"I don't know."

"That's not good enough."

Ben stood up, pacing away from her. Mal stood her ground any time he neared. "I can't work out…"

"What?"

"If you only told me those things so I'd break up with you."

The second that came out, Mal felt all of the colour drain from her face. "Is that what you think? Ben, if I didn't want to be with you, I'd end it myself! I told you because you're all about honesty."

A scoff left his lips. He didn't believe her.

"If you cared at all about _honesty_, you would have told me _certain things_ earlier! Instead, you waited until we were arguing before springing it on me. That's not how a relationship works!" His voice had begun to raise exponentially. "You'd have told me about you and Harry before inviting him in the first place!"

"Really? When did I have the chance? You were never around, Ben."

"So, was Harry my replacement?"

"_You_ were _his _replacement, if you want to be like that."

"Was I just a pawn the whole time?" he demanded. The question stunned Mal into silence. Is _that _what he was thinking? "You've lied to me so many times, Mal! I am sick and tired of finding out the truth from other people or only when you have to reveal it! You let me believe that you spelled me with that love potion because you wanted me, but you had just been using me the entire time! Are you still just using me to get something you want? I've given you everything, and now I've brought your boyfriend over from the Isle! Are you just waiting until you've freed more of your friends to break my heart even more?"

He fell silent, and she finally was able to reply.

"If you actually think any of that is true, then why are we even together?"

"I don't know!" he shouted. His anger was greater than she'd ever seen. But it was clear to see the hurt, betrayal, and confusion crossing his features too. "Maybe we _should _break up."

Mal instantly froze. This couldn't be happening. _Please make this be a nightmare._

It took Ben a few seconds before he froze as well, seemingly realising what he had just said.

"Wait… I didn't mean that," he quickly corrected, his voice suddenly quiet and filled with regret.

"You wouldn't have said it if you didn't mean it," she whispered. Hesitantly, she played with her engagement ring before slipping it off her finger and holding it out to him. "You don't trust me anymore."

Her hands felt numb as Ben slowly lifted his hand to hers and accepted the ring. The moment seemed to pass in slow-motion. Both of their eyes welled up with tears but Mal refused to cry in front of him. Attempting to swallow the lump in her throat, she turned away from him.

Her heart shouted at her to say something, to apologise or ask him to take her back, but she just couldn't. Instead, she stalked away.

Before she could think better of it, she stopped and looked back at him from the doorway. He looked so broken as he stared down at the ring.

* * *

It was only as Mal got back to her room - on the same wing as his - that she broke down. She ignored all of the texts and calls coming to her phone and refused to answer anybody that knocked on her door. She just wanted to be alone.

It took all of her willpower for her to jump in the shower and get ready for dinner. Her absence would be noticed and she didn't want them asking too many questions. She opted to wear one of the dresses in the wardrobe that had been provided for her. She chose the one that was the most comfortable. It was a very light purple and dropped down to her knees. The material seemed like cotton, which was something she hardly wore but knew most of Ben's clothes were made of. She slipped on her purple and green dragon leather jacket. It didn't match and it was very warm out but she didn't care.

She had been extremely tempted to slip on the purple fluffy slippers that somebody had brought her but decided against it and just put the same boots on that she had been wearing.

Mal looked at herself in the mirror and put on a little bit of make-up to ensure nobody worked out that she had been crying.

Hopefully, they didn't expect her to smile. She simply couldn't pretend to be happy right now.

It didn't take her long to find the VKs, gathered at the bottom of the staircase and debating over which way led to the dining room.

"Mal! There you are!" Evie exclaimed the second she saw her.

"Lost?" she questioned as lightly as she could.

Nate and the twins nodded quickly.

"Luckily, I know the way," Mal told them as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "This way."

She attempted to move straight away but Evie stopped her. Jay began to lead the children in the direction Mal had indicated.

"Where were you? I was worried when you didn't answer any of my texts."

Before Mal had the chance to lie, Harry piped up.

"She was probably fucking the King."

It was loud enough for all of the VKs to turn back to them and for Mal's left fist to violently connect with Harry's jaw.

He moved towards her - probably to attack. She pushed him back with her right hand and repeated the punch in the same place, this time eliciting a cracking sound. The purple-haired girl managed one more forceful punch before arms were wrapped around her waist and she was pulled away from him with three guards instantly standing between them.

When Mal noticed that it was a guard who was holding her, she began to struggle to try and get out of his hold. Unfortunately, it was to no avail - he was clearly stronger than her. She felt so weak and useless.

"Release her this instant!" Adam's voice boomed, even making Mal jump. Within a second the arms wrapped around her retracted and Adam approached her with Belle quickly following. His hand came to her shoulder protectively. "Are you okay?"

Mal nodded and waited for his attention to move over to Harry before lifting her hand to look at it. It hurt like hell. As she looked up, she noticed that Adam had connected the dots to what had occurred.

"Take the children into the dining room," he ordered. "All of them," he added when Evie, Jay, and Carlos resisted.

"It's fine. Go," Mal said shortly.

She allowed herself to be led off by Adam and ignored all orders he was giving except "Go get the King." She did not want Ben to be involved in this. In fact, she didn't even want to see him at this moment and had hoped he wasn't going to be able to attend dinner. And now, he would probably have to pass judgment on her violent act. He didn't deserve this.

She was led into a library that had several comfortable chairs and couches. Adam indicated for her to sit on one of the three-seater couches and took a seat beside her. Belle joined her on the other side. Harry was placed on a chair on the opposite side of the ten metred room. Mal didn't respond when asked what happened, simply staring down at the cream-colored carpet in front of her.

Her attention raised when two palace staff members entered, one heading over to Harry, the other approaching her.

"Hand up."

She complied. She watched as the woman examined it before putting a cushion on her lap, placing her hand on it and immediately icing her hand.

"Oww!" she complained.

"I'll arrange for that to be wrapped up. You're lucky there's nothing broken."

Mal regarded her now covered hand and frowned. It hurt.

The door on the other side of the room opened again, and her breath hitched as she saw Ben enter with two guards. It was obvious that he had been crying.

Adam and Belle stood up. Belle spoke to her son softly enough that nobody could hear her apart from Ben and Adam. Mal couldn't even hear Ben's reply but it didn't seem like his parents knew what had happened between the two of them.

"What happened?" Ben suddenly asked loudly.

"She attacked me, that's what."

Harry was holding an ice-pack to his face and from what she could see, it was already bruising.

Ben looked over to Mal and she could see the sorrow in his eyes. "What really happened?" he asked, his voice softening considerably.

Harry rolled his eyes in frustration.

Mal couldn't help but meet Ben's gaze. "He's telling the truth. I threw the first punch."

"I didn't even get a punch in," Harry imputed.

She let her head bob up and down to confirm.

To her surprise, there was no judgment in Ben's eyes. "Okay. Let's take him to the infirmary and get him sorted out. I want him to receive the best care possible." He received nods. He turned back to her. "How's your hand?"

"Not broken."

This time it was him who nodded in confirmation. Ben waited until the room had been vacated before dismissing all of his guards. "What did Harry do?"

Mal shrugged. "Nothing."

"Don't lie to me, Mal," he said forcefully.

She looked up and saw the surprise on his parents' faces at his tone. She let out a sigh. "He made a comment about us."

Ben looked at her pointedly.

She glanced down. "Evie asked where I had been all day. Harry said that we were probably…" she paused, paraphrasing quickly, "having sex. I punched him before I even registered what I was doing."

"That wasn't very smart of you," he said, sitting down next to her. Close enough for her to feel the heat radiating off him.

"Evie's the smart one," she muttered. Taking a breath, she turned to him. "What's going to happen now?"

Ben looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Mal glanced up at Adam, who knew exactly what she was referring to.

"Mal committed an act of violence, that can't be ignored."

At Ben's alarmed look, Mal quickly spoke. "He's right, Ben. There needs to be some sort of punishment."

Belle sat down on her other side. "We can't seem to favour our own family above others," she reminded him.

Mal felt her heart melt at Belle referring to her as family.

_If only she knew. _

"So we let Harry off for attacking Mal and have to punish her for doing the same thing?" he demanded.

"Son, Mal broke his jaw."

Ben didn't seem to care about that, but she could understand why. However, this concerned his parents. It seemed his judgment was clouded even more now that they had broken up. She took his hand with her good one. "I will accept any punishment that seems fit." She then looked at Adam. "Is there anything else you need to know?" Mal wasn't entirely sure how she had broken out of her emotionless and temperamental state - perhaps it was seeing how broken up Ben was. One of them had to be the strong one.

"Are there any other factors we should take into account? A reason we could consider? Did something bad happen that affected your judgement?"

There was so much Mal could say but overall didn't want to. A sigh left her as she took her hand back. "I've been having a bad few weeks," she said vaguely.

Belle rested a hand on her arm. "You can always come to us. What happened?"

Mal closed her eyes as she spoke. "Well… we all know about the attack with Harry. You _don't_ know that…" she hesitated. "He had been pursuing me. It's exhausting. During the attack he did forcefully kiss me - somehow I managed to use my magic to send him backward - I don't know how but I've tried to be careful since." She could tell they all wanted to say something different as she was talking but were too polite to interrupt her, so she just carried on talking, not once opening her eyes. "Then exam week was hell. I hate tests. Not to mention Ben and I got into a huge fight and stopped talking." Now she did open her eyes to see both of the adults looking at Ben - he hadn't told them. "When we got here, after another big fight, Ben and I broke up."

"Excuse me?" Belle exclaimed in utter shock.

Adam stepped forward. "Mal, may we have a moment alone with our son?"

Mal looked at Ben and waited for him to nod before standing. "I'll be in the dining room. I'm sure the VKs are worried."

"We'll meet you there," Ben told her softly.

With a look at the three of them, Mal exited the library and made her way to the dining room to assure her friends that everything was okay. The younger ones believed her instantly, however, Evie, Jay, and Carlos were not as easily fooled. Thankfully, they had decided to not question her right now - but she knew it was coming.

Mal couldn't help but look around at nearly all of the VKs. She was sitting right at the end of the table, next to where she presumed Ben would be, with Evie next to her. Opposite her was Jay, the twins, then Celia and Dizzy with Fairy Godmother and Belle at the end.

On her side of the table comprised of the other members: Carlos, Nathan, Nate, Felicity Jane and an empty seat for Harry.

It was an agonising fifteen minutes before Ben, Belle, and Adam walked into the dining room and took their seats.

"Let the meal commence," Ben declared. Instantly, the doors opened and their dinner was carried out.

Dinner, and then pudding, went without a hitch. Harry didn't even show up.

Afterward, Ben leant towards her. "Do any of them know?"

She knew what he was referring to. She shook her head.

"Can we keep it that way for now?"

Slowly she let herself nod. Let's hope she could keep her word.

They all stood and reconvened in one of the studies. Mal wasn't sure what was going on but decided not to comment and sat in the chair next to Evie.

"What's going on?" her friend asked her, boldly assuming she knew.

Should she lie? Pretend she did?

"Not sure," she admitted truthfully.

"Are you and Ben okay?"

"Why'd you ask?" she questioned, looking at her friend with utter confusion. "Oh, I've been meaning to ask. How's Doug? Is he staying with you over the summer as you mentioned?"

Evie easily saw the change of subject but allowed it. "Yes, most of it anyway. Isn't that amazing? He won't be staying overnight though, just coming over during the day."

Mal couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Somebody's nervous about nighttime."

"Don't want him to turn into a pumpkin."

A loud and joy-filled laugh left her instantly. She had _not_ been expecting that. She ignored the varied looks she was getting from everybody. Evie wrapped her arms around her shoulders and they both curled up on an armchair together while both of them continued to giggle. "I can imagine Doug as Cinderella. Who would be his evil step-sisters?"

Evie made a humming sound as she thought. "Chat and Audrey."

The two girls burst out into raucous laughter. Mal leant her head on the back of the chair and took a few breaths to calm herself down as Fairy Godmother walked in and cleared her throat.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a very bruised Harry come in and lean against the door. He had a weird bandage wrapped around his jaw, seeming to hold it up, and had a hat covering the top of his head. She turned away from him when he looked at her and cuddled up to Evie, glancing down at her own bandaged hand.

"Thank you all for coming. It is a pleasure to get all of you out of the classroom and ready to have some amazing adventures." She looked around, her smile never faltering. "How much do you know about the Goodness Test that Auradon Prep puts everybody through before they're allowed to graduate?"

"Just that we didn't have to do it," Jay replied.

Fairy Godmother searched the group. "Felicity?" she prompted.

"In order for a person to be allowed to freely roam Auradon when they're an adult, they must pass the Goodness Test - a test which uses magic to determine one's alignment and intentions. If it's failed, they have to attend sessions until they pass it. At Auradon Prep, each student is given a few opportunities through their education to undergo the test to ensure there are no hidden problems when they reach eighteen."

"Thank you, dear. Fully informed as always," Fairy Godmother praised. She paused as she looked around. "It was my decision to pull you out of the chance to take this test at Auradon Prep due to your pasts on the Isle. The test hasn't been used on any of you and we wanted to ensure there was time to go through everything and iron out any issues in a safe environment, where we could spend as much time as we needed."

Felicity was the first one to speak. "Who's going to be the guinea pig, then?"

"We won't word it like that," the fairy said lightly. "But we would like to focus on the older ones first to ensure there's enough time, as there are still plenty of years for the younger children. As Jay is already eighteen and is the oldest…"

"Fine. When?"

"Tomorrow," she replied, still smiling. "However, tonight we have set up a very interesting activity. Has anybody done archery before? Nobody? Fantastic! We'll meet out in the courtyard in thirty minutes."

Evie leant heavily against Mal.

"There's a courtyard?"

Mal nodded.

"Can you do archery with your hand?"

A sigh left her.

"I guess this is punishment."

"Are you getting punished?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know yet."

As if they knew they were talking about it, Adam walked in.

"Mal-"

She stood up, not even waiting for him to finish the sentence.

"I'll see you later," she bid her friend.

Following Adam out was surprisingly nerve-wracking. He was alone. That was heightening her discomfort even more. She hadn't felt uncomfortable when it was just her and Belle. Additionally, they had just found out that she and Ben were no longer together - who knew how they were reacting to that? The whole meal was awkward before they disappeared again. If only she could work out what he was thinking.

"What's on your mind?" Adam asked her as they walked through the halls.

"Where are we going?" she countered.

He sent her a kind smile.

"Ben's office."

Mal looked around, confused. This wasn't the way to his office, was it? They began to ascend the stairs.

"Are you sure?"

Adam let out a deep chuckle. "There are many routes. How's your hand?"

"Hurts," she answered shortly. Mal took a breath, knowing that he was trying to start a conversation. Time to open up… or at least, attempt to. "I'm sorry I messed things up with Ben. Please don't blame him for anything, it was all my fault."

"Why do you say that?"

Mal sighed and turned to him when he stopped. "I freaked out. Going back to the Isle always brings those memories for the forefront of my brain and bringing Harry here made things so much worse. I have a long history with him and we were close. It wasn't called that on the Isle, but it would be classified as dating here." Adam rested a hand on her shoulder - it was strong support. It helped her to carry on talking. "A big part of me knew that if Ben had found out what I'd done in my past, that he'd leave me. That he couldn't accept what I've done and who I used to be. What if I hadn't actually changed? This hand shows that. All that was needed for me to revert back to violence was to lose Ben."

Adam pulled her into a hug and she realised she was crying. Over what? She wasn't entirely sure.

"I pushed him away. I threw my past at him and gave him every reason not to trust me anymore. I broke us and… and… I don't know what to do anymore, Adam. Who am I? Do I even belong here?"

"Of course you belong here. You are the kindest and most reliable person I know." He held her back slightly to look at her. "I don't care about your past because it's made you who you are today. And that is somebody who considers all options before making a decision. Everybody messes up and makes mistakes, but they do not define you." He wiped away her tears.

Mal looked down, processing his words. "Even if I did some really bad things?"

"Do you remember my story?"

She shook her head. "We didn't study the heroes' stories. I know you used to be a beast and love made you a man."

He let out a chuckle. "That's the abridged version. Do you know why I was turned into a beast?" She shook her head again. "I was a selfish, self-absorbed, rude man. I didn't care about anybody; I partied, drank, slept around, and my palace staff was forced to do what I said or be fired." Mal's eyes were wide by now as she stared up at him. "An enchantress cursed me and all of my palace staff because of who I was."

"So… you were a villain?"

Adam let out a chuckle. "In a way, yes. My time as The Beast changed me and made me value the real meaning of life."

"Love?"

"Yes. Love is a big part of life, and the most important part of that is learning to love yourself. You are amazing, Mal, and it might take time but you will be an amazing adult and an even better Queen."

Mal sighed. "Ben and I aren't together anymore."

He smiled down at her. "I have confidence that you two will work that out. It'll take time, but have faith- and don't punch anybody else."

She let out a small chuckle. "Okay. Thanks, Adam."

He wrapped his arms around her again and she instantly returned the hug and closed her eyes. Eventually, they pulled apart and walked around the corner. Her eyes widened; she didn't realise they were this close to Ben's office. Adam held the door open for her and she walked in.

Ben's face turned from business straight to concerned.

"Have you been crying?"

Mal quickly wiped her eyes. "No."

"Come and sit down, Mal," Belle invited and Mal sat down next to her. "We have discussed and agreed on a few options for your consequences for using violence instead of words. Firstly, the one thing that is not negotiable is to apologise to Harry."

"Okay."

"Then, you can choose between assisting at one of the hospitals or infirmaries, or administrative work here at the castle."

Mal looked at the woman with a puzzled expression. She waited for different options, stricter options. A stint in jail or time spent on the Isle. Not… community service or paperwork. That seemed ridiculous. Far too light. Then again, they did let Harry get away with a violent act scot-free. "I don't mind."

"She can do administration here at the castle, focusing her attention in the infirmary if and when it's needed." Adam decided for her, taking control of the situation. "I suggest one full week."

Mal nodded. "When will I start?" She looked around to see Ben extremely annoyed. Was it because she was going to be here for a week? Or because his Dad took over? Or something else completely?

Belle took a breath beside her before answering; "After your friends have gone back to Auradon Prep."

"Okay. Can I go?"

"Of course, dear."

Mal instantly stood and left. The second she got out of the room, she quickly ran down the corridor and into her room - it was too close for comfort. Being in the same wing as Ben's office, room, and his parents were jarring. Adam's words made her feel so much better but being in a room with Ben and knowing how badly she had messed up was absolutely devastating.

The eighteen-year-old allowed herself a few minutes to regain her composure before she headed out and looked for the VKs.

She couldn't work out if it was unfortunate or not when she bumped into Harry.

He raised his hands in mock surrender, a smirk on his face. "Is Isle Mal in check?"

Mal let out a half-sigh, half-chuckle. "You should've stopped me."

"You really looked like you wanted to hit me; who am I to stop that?"

She rolled her eyes at him. How he didn't hate her was beyond her. "Next time, stop me."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "There's going to be a next time? Don't go for the face, then."

Mal couldn't help but laugh. His jaw couldn't have been broken that badly - he was still able to talk. "I'm sorry. It _won't_ happen again."

Harry bowed his head slightly, accepting her apology, though the smirk on his lips belied his words. "I believe you, Lady Mal." That name on his lips did not match. "I guess I shouldn't have provoked you. I could tell you were upset about something."

"How?"

"I know you," was his simple reply. "Want to talk about it?"

Her mind screamed yes, but she shook her head. She did want to talk about it but not to him. The easy thing would be to let it all come out but life wasn't like that. Ben had asked her to keep it a secret for now. Therefore, if she did tell anybody, it would just be Evie. "Let's head to the courtyard; archery sounds like fun."

"Can you do archery with that hand?"

"Don't worry about me, Harry. That's not your responsibility anymore."

The comment was cold; she wasn't entirely sure why she had said it. They were getting on well and her reminding him that she wasn't his was unnecessary. But she _had_ to create a barrier between them. His expression and demeanor instantly changed and they walked in silence out of the castle into the garden.

Mal laughed and went to a confused Evie. "Keep heading straight. It's on the other side of the garden."

Evie turned around and instantly smiled. "Let's go!" she announced, sending all of them in the right direction. "I'm so glad you're here. What did Beast want?"

"I have to work around the castle for a week as punishment."

"What? Like a maid?"

Mal raised a brow; she didn't see it like that. "I think it's more of a reason for me to stay at the castle."

"You were already staying here, though."

It took a moment for Mal to realise she had almost slipped up. "I know. Maybe it was more to ensure Ben could do work while I was around."

"That makes sense," Evie replied. Her eyes widened in absolute wonder as they walked into the courtyard. "This is amazing."

All of the VKs looked stunned at either the size of the courtyard or the production of archery that was set up.

Mal mainly sat to the side as everybody took their turns with the five instructors that took the time to help every single one of them. It was refreshing to see all of the VKs getting involved and learning something new in a safe environment. On the Isle, anything pointy was extremely dangerous. She let out a smile as Felicity started to get slightly frustrated - turned out archery wasn't the young girl's thing.

"Why aren't you joining in?" Ben asked, coming to sit next to her on the bench.

She held up her hand in a silent answer.

"Ah," he verbalised. "I'm sorry my dad took over. You were supposed to have the choice."

"That's okay. I didn't know what to choose anyway."

Silence built between them momentarily, but Mal couldn't think of anything to say to fill it this time. He held his hand out to her and she accepted, allowing him to guide her down the pitch. He picked up a crossbow and loaded it before holding it out to her. "I'll help you."

Mal smiled and noted that an instructor was keeping an eye on them from a safe distance. She took a hold of it, her finger sliding around the trigger but not pulling it yet. Ben stepped closer and aimed it at the target.

"Go on."

With that permission, she pulled the trigger and watched in delight when it flew off - nowhere near the target, though. "Your aim is awful."

Ben laughed and took the crossbow from her to reload before moving back to her. "I guess we need to try harder, then."

She let herself laugh with him and took hold of the crossbow again. This time, however, his hand looped around her waist and he stood closer. "To the left," she muttered. He obeyed and this time, when she pulled the trigger, the arrow hit the target. A huge smile made its way to her face and she couldn't stop herself from turning around and hugging him.

"We did it!"

She kept the hug very short.

He grinned at her. "Think we could hit the bullseye?"

Mal pretended to think about it before nodding with a smile. "Definitely."

Long story short - they couldn't.

"Final shot," Ben whispered into her ear. Somehow, over the multiple shots they had done together, he still managed to find a way to get closer.

Mal glanced over to where everybody was packing up and saw Harry glowering at them. She looked back at the target. "Ready?"

He made a humming sound and she pulled the trigger. Instantly he laughed as the shot hit the target, but was nowhere near the middle of it. "Maybe next time."

"A bit of practice is all we need."

They separated and he passed the crossbow off to an instructor before walking over to the VKs. She suddenly felt colder. It was strange how easy it was to still be close to him as if they hadn't broken up. He still held her the same and treated her with the love and respect he always told her she deserved. But he wasn't doing that because they were together. She wasn't sure why she expected him to turn on her or treat her like a stranger - every day he reminded her why she loved him.

"Did you all have fun?" Ben asked loudly. A chorus of "Yes!" was the reply. "Who hit the bullseye?" Jay, Carlos, Celia, Nathan, and Squirmy put their hands up. "Amazing! Good work. Now let's go back inside for some hot coco."

* * *

**Thank you!**

**We have a guest beta this chapter: VioletofMine!**


	18. How could you not tell me?

**How could you not tell me?**

* * *

Mal took in a breath as she looked around. So far she had accomplished the task of knowing where everything was. However, when Evie texted Mal to visit her in her room; she was at a loss. Where was her friend staying in the castle? There wasn't curfew here, but she doubted that walking around at 1 am was encouraged.

As she turned a corner, she jumped back with a loud gasp at the figure standing there.

"Mademoiselle, I didn't mean to scare you," Lumiere said kindly, his french accent much stronger than she was used to. "Why are you out of bed so late, Lady Mal?"

"I'm going to see Evie," she admitted with a sheepish smile, her hand still over her heart. "Which way?"

Lumiere gave her a smile. "In the West Wing with the other guests."

"West?" she repeated. They were literally in the wing on the other side of the castle to Mal and all of Ben's family. That probably wasn't by chance. She wondered if she'd be moved to the West Wing once the others were gone. "Which way is that?" she asked, trying to not think about all the changes that would occur in her life now that she and Ben weren't together.

He pulled out his phone and Mal's back pocket buzzed. "It updates automatically, I'll put Evie's room on the list. You can click on it and it'll give you automatic directions."

Mal instantly pulled out her phone. "How have I just heard about that?"

"We had it created for you after your miscounters last time you were here."

"Thank you, Lumiere."

He bowed his head to her. "Have a good night, Lady Mal."

She smiled before clicking on Evie's name and following the directions. As she reached the room, she pocketed her phone and knocked gently on the door.

Immediately, the door opened revealing a pyjama-wearing Evie. "What took you so long?"

Mal glanced down at her dressed self. "I wasn't about to walk around the castle in my nightwear, E. What's going on?"

Evie took a breath. "I need your help," she admitted, pulling the girl in and closing the door. "Doug sent me a text a few hours ago and I can't work out how to reply. What does he mean?" she asked, handing over the phone.

Mal took the phone and read the message, instantly laughing. "Which part? The part where he says he misses you? Or where he asks if you'd like to meet his parents over dinner?"

"Both!"

"Do you miss him?" Mal questioned.

Evie looked a little shy all of a sudden. "Well, yeah."

"Did you want to have dinner with his parents?"

"I wouldn't mind. But what does that mean for our relationship? I don't want him to think I'm too eager or going too fast." She paused. "We haven't even said the l-word yet."

Mal was struggling to hold back her laughter. She had gone to Evie countless times when first starting out with Ben and now it was her turn to give relationship advice? It was hilarious. "E. He asked _you_. If anybody should be worried about the other moving to fast it's you. Just agree to meet them."

Evie took a big breath before accepting the phone and replying. "Thanks." She released her breath and sat down on her bed.

Mal took a look around, the room was nearly the same size their dorm was, with blue and yellow decor, and a door she presumed led to a bathroom. There was a large white wardrobe to the side and a matching set of drawers and side tables. Comparing it to Mal's room here, it was much smaller and a lot less personalised. That showed her that she had received some sort of special treatment. "Next time… just call me? I'm not going to be down the hall all the time."

"You're right," Evie said as if she'd just realised. "My little starter castle is at least thirty minutes from here. That's a long drive for us to see each other! Do you have to stay here all summer? I'm going to miss you too much."

"How about I come to yours after a week? And we'll go from there."

"Ben won't mind?"

Mind… he'd probably prefer his ex to not hang around the castle. "He knows how much you mean to me. I love you, you know."

Evie's eyes filled with wonder. "You're so good at using that word. I love you."

The two girls hugged.

"Want to stay here tonight? I miss sharing a dorm with you."

Mal laughed. "We slept in our dorm last night, E."

Evie shrugged innocently. And Mal had to wonder if the girl was nervous to sleep in a room alone. Ever since she had her starter castle, Dizzy usually stayed over and sometimes Celia too.

"How about we stay in my room? It's got a bigger bed."

"Really?" Evie asked and after Mal nodded, she grabbed her bag and quickly packed the rest of her stuff. It looked like she'd be having Evie for the rest of the weekend.

* * *

Mal was in her element the following morning. The activity set up was a massive art class with every colour of paint, canvases, and paint games. The younger children were obsessed with the balloon paintballing - throwing darts at balloons to pop it and have different coloured paint squirting out. It looked fun but Mal was more interested in painting on the biggest canvas. She had already done her signature 'long live evil' design in the middle and began painting people. She started with Evie, followed by Jay and Carlos.

She gave Jay a smirk - the exact expression he had when he found out he was missing the art activity for the Goodness test. Taking a step back, Mal smiled at how well it was coming out so far. Glancing around the room, she decided to carry-on adding the VKs and one by one began to add them as she went by.

"You forgot yourself," Harry said from behind her, making her jump.

She sent him a death glare. "I'm only halfway done," she defended - not about to admit she didn't think about adding herself yet.

Harry moved closer and looked at it before examining the option of paints. "Will there be enough black to do my eyes?"

She also wasn't going to admit she hadn't been planning on adding him to the painting. "You barely wear any eyeliner anymore, Harry."

"Then paint the pirate me. I don't want to look soft in the painting."

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the black and put it on the table next to her. "I'm sure that'll be enough. Don't you think?"

He grinned at her and pretended to bite her before walking off.

He was a strange individual. Mal turned her attention back to the painting and moved onto painting the twins. She constantly looked back at them, making sure to include every single little difference they had.

Just as Mal was finishing off the twins, she felt a hand come to her side and instantly elbowed them.

"Ow!" Ben said.

She whipped around in shock. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you!"

He let out a good-natured laugh but didn't touch her again. "Amazing painting. You're really talented."

"Thanks," she replied before a thought popped into her head. "I'm thinking about adding you, but it'd have to be when you were all geared up 'Isle style'. Would that be appropriate?" Her tone was almost teasing.

Ben pretended to think. "Probably would raise some questions," he said thoughtfully before smiling at her again. "But I would love it."

Her smile matched his. "I thought you were supervising the Goodness Test?"

"I am. But we took a break. Jay's a bit affected by it." Mal's smile instantly dropped. "Can I pull you away from your painting?"

Instantly, she set the brush down and followed him out of the room. "What happened?"

"We've encountered a few issues with it so far. There's a number of categories and none of them can be red to pass, they need to be orange but preferably, they'd all be green. He's gone through a number of memories and it's not making a huge difference. Also, the memories aren't helping him remain calm."

She furrowed her brows. "He's talking about his past?" she asked, mildly shocked - they were talking about Jay, right?

"The Goodness Test uses magic to physically see the memory or memories the person is thinking off, with their permission."

The thought of anybody actually seeing her memories made her blood run cold. "What if they refuse to show the memory?"

He looked at her, his gaze soft. "They'd fail."

Mal didn't ask any further questions about the matter. "Where is Jay?"

"In the gym; he's blowing off some steam."

"Maybe we should leave him to that for a while longer. Can you explain more about the test and why we need it?"

Ben took her hand and changed direction. "How about I show you instead?" he suggested.

Mal easily kept up with him, she was used to his pace. Showing somebody else her memories was terrifying. "Who would see the memories?"

"Fairy Godmother has to be there, and at least two others as a minimum. Usually, it's three others." He gave her hand a little squeeze. "It's just to ensure that it's all done above the board."

"Right."

They walked into the library - the same one where her and Harry were taken after she had punched him. He led them past a crying Belle who was being comforted by Adam, who both looked at them with confusion.

"What's wrong?" she asked them, concern instantly taking over their features.

"Jay's memories rattled them."

Mal nodded and turned to the crystal ball which was now in front of them.

"Here we are. You simply think of a memory or a scenario, or anything and put your hand on the ball."

"And then what?"

Ben released her hand. "Choose an age."

She sent him a weird look. "Six?"

He closed his eyes for a second and placed his hand on the large ball; an image instantly appeared and began to play.

_Six-year-old Ben crawled around his bed, wearing a blue suit with a yellow tie. He jumped up and rawred at his mother who laughed in reply. _

"_Come on, mini-beast. The ball is about to start."_

_Ben scrunched up his nose in disgust. "But that's boring, Mamma. Can't I just stay here and play?"_

_Belle bent down to her son's level. "No. You're the prince. Everybody is looking forward to seeing you. Besides, you can practice your waltz. I saw you at your last lesson and you were amazing."_

"_Really?" At his mothers' nod, he perked up. "Okay! Can I dance with you?"_

Mal let out a soft laugh. "You were so little! I can't believe how light your hair is, it almost looks blonde!"

Ben chuckled at her response. "Did you want to give it a go?"

Mal thought about it, it would be interesting to see what it was like. She didn't notice Adam and Belle getting closer with intrigue. Her aged six? She placed her hand on the ball and furrowed her brows together - she hadn't expected it to be that warm. A smile made its way to her lips as six-year-old her appeared on the screen with Harry, Uma, Gil, and two of the pirates.

"Woah, you're adorable!" Ben commented, making Mal roll her eyes before focusing on the screen, having missed half of the conversation there already.

_Six-year-old Mal snuck forward and reached for the pocket, only to be stopped by Hades. His hand had wrapped around her arm as he bent down. "What are you doing Mali?"_

"_Stealing your wallet," she little girl replied with wide eyes. _

"_Why?" The questioned seemed to be more out of interest than annoyance. _

_Mal hesitated. "To show my friends - I mean crew - that I'm strong."_

_Hades released her. "Bad idea. Get out of here."_

_Mal stepped back before quickly launching forward and grabbing something from his pocket. Suddenly, the screen went black. _

"What happened?" Belle asked, her eyes wide with panic.

Mal looked up at her, suddenly feeling self-conscious about the memory. Until Belle spoke she had loved seeing her self's former actions.

"Did he knock you out?" Belle added when Mal didn't reply.

"No. He just…" she paused, unsure of what to say. Mal looked at Ben for help.

Ben's hand came to her waist. "She's not the one doing the test mum. You looked younger than six, what age did you go for?"

Mal was pleased for the question redirect but frowned playfully at that one. "I was six… I have always been small for my age. Even now."

He chuckled.

"Mal, how long have you known Jay?" Adam asked, rapidly changing the subject without warning.

"All my life… Why?"

Adam glanced at Fairy Godmother - who Mal hadn't realised had been there all along. "Perhaps she could volunteer some memories in his defense?"

"That's not unheard of," Fairy Godmother replied to Adam before looking at Mal. "Would you be willing?"

Mal wanted to look at Ben for help again - the idea of supplying memories for a reason instead of for fun was daunting. Especially as they could potentially ask more questions. "What kind of memories?"

"The first category we chose, Jay couldn't find any fitting memories. It's about helping others."

"Helping others?"

Fairy Godmother nodded. "There has to be at least three examples, but they can't all be within the same year."

"We've only been here a year," Mal said, realising Jay's dilemma. Helping others. "Would teaching me to fight and climb work?" At a nod, Mal shrugged and placed her hand on the ball.

A distracted five-year-old Mal and annoyed Jay appeared on the screen.

"_Pay attention!" he snapped. _

_Mal looked at him. "I am!" she threw back, a glare on her face. _

_He huffed. "Fist up. Lean into every hit. Keep your feet solidly on the ground. Come at me."_

_She took a breath before launching forward, Jay dodging out of the way. _

"_Again."_

_Mal repeated her actions but with her other hand. Her eyes widened as she dodged Jay's high kick and continued to throw punches until one finally landed on him. "I did it!"_

_The slightly older boy grinned and wrapped his arms around her before messing up her purple hair. "Knew you had it in you. Let's go again."_

The image changed to one of an older Mal, aged seven, losing in a hand-to-hand battle with an older boy. "Rushel," Mal muttered.

_Mal stumbled backwards as she was kicked in the stomach. Her fist connected with Rashel's face harshly as another boy joined in and pulled Mal down to the ground. _

_Suddenly, Jay appeared, tackling Rushel to the ground before grabbing Mal's arm and pulling her up and away from the second assailant. Jay kicked the second person in the throat before dragging Mal away from both of them. _

"I never thanked him for that," Mal reminisced. "I actually had a go at him for making me seem weak. My whole side hurt for weeks."

"Yet, you started a fight with Rushel the next day," Jay said from the doorway, not looking happy.

Mal smirked. "I won. He never bothered me again."

At Jay looking at the screen, Mal turned her attention to it and saw a ten-year-old Jay changing the bloodied bandages around Mal's stomach. The large gash was still rather fresh.

"Ouch," Ben murmured in mild-horror.

"Yeah. Still got that scar."

Ben's eyes moved to her stomach but he didn't comment further on it. Silently, she lifted her top so he could see the scar and his fingers lightly traced it. If he had seen any of the other scars, he didn't say so.

As she pulled down her top, she turned to the others and cleared her throat. "Did that help with Jay's test?"

Fairy Godmother took a moment before responding. Perhaps she needed time to collect herself after seeing the memories. "Yes. It turned green. That's one category done."

"I didn't want to show memories of anybody else," Jay spoke, his voice completely closed off. He was blatantly defensive.

"You can show memories of me." Jay's attention glanced at Ben before looking back at her. "Ben knows nearly everything. It'll all come out in my Goodness Test anyway… perhaps Belle won't continuously cry if it's all out in your one."

Jay gave her a single nod and indicated he could do this. "Fine. What's next?"

"I'll be off. I have a painting to finish," Mal excused herself. She felt like she was being watched as she left and was barely halfway down the hall before her name was called. Turning around, she saw Belle approaching her. "Everything okay?"

The older woman gave her a soft tearful smile. "I'm glad to see there are no hard feelings between you and Ben. Are you back together?"

Mal could tell this was going to be an ongoing conversation for the time being - this upcoming week wasn't going to be fun. "We're not back together but that doesn't change our feelings toward one another. I don't think I'd ever be able to hate him." She paused. "What made you cry?"

"I'm glad," she spoke softly, though, obviously had been hoping for a different answer. "Seeing how bad the conditions were for Jay growing up just got to me. His father was not a nice man."

Mal couldn't stop the laugh that came from her mouth but quickly swallowed it - not the time. "None of our parents were very nice, Belle. You saw Jay patching me up." Belle nodded. "My mother wouldn't have if I turned up bleeding. She'd just call me weak or a disappointment. Life was very different on the Isle - most parents didn't actually love their kids; everybody knew who the exceptions were."

"How could parents not love their kids?"

"Love was weakness." Mal decided to stop there. "They weren't that bad though; there were a lot worse parents on the Isle. I was never publicly tormented, Evie was never beat, Carlos was never thrown out, and Jay never went hungry."

Belle seemed to easily read through the lines. "You weren't publicly tormented… but were you thrown out? Or beaten? Or starved?"

This was all getting much too real for Mal. She took a deep breath. "How about we wait until my Goodness test and then I'll be fully open about everything. Save it for one day of reliving it all and then leaving it in the past."

Belle nodded, accepting her compromise. "One last question," she said waiting for Mal's nod. "We only ever received word on one of your parents. Do any of you know who your other parent is?"

"Some do," she replied vaguely before sighing deeply. "I know who my father is. He wasn't in my life though, so to me, he doesn't even exist. I'd like to keep it that way."

It was obvious the older woman wanted to know more but didn't press any further. "We'll see you at lunch."

Mal smiled. "Looking forward to it." Then turned and walked back to the art activity.

* * *

Mal enjoyed the relaxing walk around the garden with Felicity, Nat, and Nathan. The four of them talked the whole time about what they wanted for the future. Mal was amazed at Felicity's plans and work ethic - she'd go far. A frown made its way to her lips as she thought about all of the other children on the Isle and the fact that they probably wouldn't be able to get their chance for a normal life. If they closed the barrier, all the children would be stuck there again.

Was there another way to keep Auradon safe? Would opening the barrier be too dangerous? Could Hades escape through it if they opened it one more time? He was so close to getting out last time. No. It wasn't worth the risk. They had given this chance to more children already but they couldn't risk their future or the future of her friends by opening it again. The best way to keep Auradon safe was by leaving the barrier closed.

After she had left the three of them to play a game, she wandered the halls in search of the rest of the VKs. Having a few hours free between lunch and dinner was great and she was intrigued to know what the evening activity was going to be. Hearing the voices of the twins, she nearly entered the library but paused at the sight of Harry.

Her heart warmed when she realised that they were spending their time revising with Harry as the lead. It was easy to forget that the twins had known Harry their whole life. After all, their fathers were friends and still very close. Mal hadn't really spent time with the twins since they were one or two until they came to Auradon. She doubted very much that either of them remembered.

Watching them made her mind go back to the barrier. Hugh was stuck on the Isle - he was eleven now, right? Maybe one more VK trip wouldn't be the worst idea. Though, suggesting to Ben that they bring Harry's brother wouldn't help matters with him, especially with some of the things he said during the fight. She'd hate him to think she was still trying to use him even when broken up. Truthfully, she had been wondering if she had been using him - she didn't think she had, she loves him, but maybe she wasn't listening to herself correctly.

"How dare you not tell me you and Ben broke up!" Evie's voice suddenly appeared as the blue-haired girl marched over to her.

Mal's eyes widened - how'd she find out? She quickly stepped away from the library and stopped Evie in her tracks. "Let's go to my room." She didn't want anybody to overhear this conversation - though, from the sudden heightened chatter from the library, she was sure they must have heard.

Evie impatiently walked with her the route to the room, a little behind her - obviously, not having remembered the way. The second they stepped in. "Talk."

It was an order and Mal was tempted to fight back instead. However, it was nice to be able to talk to somebody; she just needed to know something first. "How'd you find out?"

"Belle asked me how you were doing after the break-up. I had to admit to her that I didn't know about it. Why did you tell me?"

A sigh left her lips as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Ben asked me not to. He didn't want it getting out."

Evie sat next to her. "So?"

Instead of responding to that comment, Mal decided to example briefly what occurred. "It was when we first got here. Ben and I went to talk but it turned into an argument. It was really bad. It escalated so quickly and he was the one that said it. He instantly tried to take it back but he wouldn't have said it if it wasn't on his mind or had been thinking about breaking up with me. I gave him back the ring and…" she drifted off.

"And you ignored everybody before punching Harry at the bottom of the stairwell," Evie finished softly. "How's your hand?"

Mal looked down at it. It was no longer bandaged but was visibly bruised. "Hurts."

Evie shifted on the bed beside her and turned towards her more. "Look at me." Mal complied. "Do you love Ben?"

"Of course."

"Do you love Harry?"

She hesitated. "I don't know."

"Do you love Harry?" she repeated.

"Evie, I don't know."

"If Harry dropped down and proposed right now, would you say yes?"

Mal gave herself a second to think before shaking her head honestly. "No."

"And if Ben did?"

She nodded instantly. "In a heartbeat."

Evie smiled. "Then what are you doing here? Go and get your king back!"

"It's not that easy, E."

"If you love him, you'll try."

She made it sound so easy. Mal was tempted to go and find him straight away but shook her head. She wasn't sure if she would be able to handle being rejected by him. It would be too painful. As she looked at Evie, she knew the blue-haired girl was right. If Mal opted to not try then she'd be miserable. If she was rejected though, she'd be devastated… but at least she'd know.

"I will talk to him _after_ my Goodness Test. This whole mess started with my past evils. I want to make sure he has all of the information before we pass by the current struggles. I want everything laid out and that is what this Goodness Test is doing anyway." She let out a sigh. "If Ben and I wanted to make this work for the rest of our lives, we can't rush it. So, please don't tell anybody about the break-up."

Evie didn't look entirely happy with Mal's answer but knew how stubborn she could be. "Fine. The second you pass that Goodness Test, you're talking to him."

"I promise. How about we go to dinner? Hopefully, Jay has finally passed his test."

The two girls left together to a mixed-feelings dinner. Jay looked exhausted but had passed the test with a 'pass'. Belle was very affected by what she saw and Adam was extremely tense. Ben was quiet. Harry kept making eyes at her - he definitely knew about the break-up. Carlos and Evie were both concerned for different reasons; Carlos over Jay and having to take the test himself, and Evie over Mal and Ben. The rest of the VKs were having the time of their lives and were looking forward to the multi-sports evening. Even Felicity.

* * *

Mal watched Ben disappear out of the room as the VKs began to make their way outside. She was tempted to follow him, Evie's words in her head, but was halted when Harry's arm dropped over her shoulders.

"Hey there, love."

She shrugged him off.

He gave her a tug backwards and successfully created distance between the two of them and everybody else. She looked at him. "There's no Ben to worry about now. Can we talk?"

"Talk?" she repeated. "Later. Let's start the sports activity."

"Now."

"I'm not going to be alone with you."

Harry knew precisely what she meant and followed the VKs. Mal let out a sigh and looked back to where Ben had disappeared to see Belle and Adam standing there. Who knew what they were thinking.

"Joining in the sports?"

"Not today. Go and enjoy yourself," Adam replied softly.

Mal nodded and walked off.

* * *

An hour into the sports activity, Mal found herself bored and sat down to look around at everybody.

Jay, Carlos and Harry were all playing Tourney - they had started off with basketball but must have gotten bored. It was strange them all working together in a team game.

Evie, Dizzy, and the twins were throwing a ball to each other, seems they've stopped netball and was now just playing catch.

Celia, Nathan, Nate, and Felicity were all playing football in the far corner. It had been girls versus boys at one point but now looks like they had switched up teams.

It was after a while of watching, that Mal thought she should join back in but really didn't fancy football - after all, anything that involves catching a ball actually hurt. It wasn't long until Harry made his way over to her when Carlos and Jay headed over to join in on the football game.

"Ready to talk?" he asked, sitting down next to her. She let her head bob in a nod and waited for him to start. "In your own words, you said that if Ben wasn't in the picture, we'd work."

She really had said that. "I know."

Harry looked at her. "And now?"

This was it. Mal could decide her future right now. It would be easy to take Harry right now, he knew her past and he knew _her_. They worked together well once upon a time but was that just circumstance or real love? Could they even work now? Did she want them to work now? Basing it on Evie's 'would you say yes to marriage' wasn't the most conclusive test. As she looked around, things became clear as she thought about the last few days.

"I think I'll always love you in some way, Harry. You were a huge part of my life and I still want you to be in my life. But… even if Ben and I don't get back together, I think we're just better off as friends." She finally turned her attention to him. "I want you to be happy. We were friends first and they are some of my favourite memories. Sneaking up on Uma, failing to sneak up on Gil, teaching Hugh to climb. All of that happened as friends."

He nodded and surprisingly had a small smile on his face. "Friends. But if you change your mind-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know where you live," she finished, with a smile.

Mal was feeling more relaxed and happy than she had in a while. The two former lovers and now friends exchanged a hug before Harry surprised her by lifting her up firefighter style and carrying her over to the field. He put her down and she huffed at him. "Harry," she said warningly.

"Teams?" he said innocently.

"I'm team captain!" Felicity announced.

"Me too," Celia quickly pipped up. "I choose… Nathan!"

Felicity smirked. "Mal."

"Carlos."

"Jay."

"Harry."

"Nate!"

Mal smiled as she looked at her team. Her, Felicity, Jay and Nate. Two of the youngest, but they had Jay. That was always an advantage. Celia picked very cleverly - she had neither of the youngest which gave her a clear advantage. This was going to be fun.

After a huddle, it was quickly decided that Nate would be the goalie and Jay the center man. Felicity and Mal would mainly be running down the side.

Mal furrowed her eyebrows slightly when Nathan was the middle man - perhaps he was better than she expected. Celia was in the goal which mean Harry and Carlos - who Mal presumed was the strongest - were at the sides.

After a long game, Mal was exhausted, but they were drawing. Celia blocked three out of seven goals and Nate blocked one out of five. Therefore, they were 4:4. The next goal wins.

Taking a deep breath, Mal focused her energy on the game and nothing else - but Jay, Carlos, and Harry had all gone taken off their tops a while ago - it was difficult to not get distracted by any of them. She hadn't seen any of them topless since the Isle - in fact, she wasn't sure if she'd ever seen Carlos shirtless before.

The game started with Jay tackling Nathan instantly getting the ball and moving forward. Mal ran up the side and almost froze when Jay kicked the ball to her to avoid Harry and Carlos getting it. She dribbled it lightly and kicked it over to Felicity who sent it straight back to her. Why were they sending her the ball?!

She paused with it as Harry came hurtling towards her and quickly passed it to Jay just as Harry got to her. His feet connected with her now ball-less ones and almost tripped her up. If it wasn't for his hand on her back, she might have fallen. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jay score and grin. "I win."

Harry turned away from her and let out a deep breath. "Next time."

Mal laughed and ran away from him towards Felicity and gave her a high five before she was pulled into a group hug. Jay was extremely sweaty - it was gross. Either way, she held her arms around him and Felicity and smiled at Nate who was on the other side. "This was fun."

"Yeah! It's my new favourite game!" Nate announced before being the first to break away from the winning group hug and running over to his brother. Felicity broke out next.

Mal pulled back. "You're sweaty."

She instantly regretted that comment as Jay pulled her into a gross hug, rubbing his sweat over her. "How'd you like this?"

"Get off me! You're disgusting."

With a huge laugh he released her.

"Gross. I need a bath," she commented walking away from him. Even though everybody was sweating in some way, she still hugged Carlos and Harry and high-fived Celia and Nathan on a good game.

* * *

**A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


	19. Dark Purple

**Dark purple**

* * *

Mal had relaxed in the bath for at least an hour after Evie had showered. It was so relaxing and therapeutic; it also reminded her of when she'd asked Ben if he wanted to share one with her. Would he have said yes? Even though they weren't married? She really wanted - no, _needed _\- to know.

That could wait, though, she told herself as she dressed in the castle supplied pyjamas and let Evie braid her hair.

"Your hair is getting so dark. A very deep purple," Evie told her conversationally.

Mal didn't have a response to that. She hadn't even noticed her hair changing colour. But then again, she rarely looked in the mirror.

"All done," her friend announced.

Looking in the mirror, Evie had been right. Her hair was darker at the roots, much darker. She slipped on the soft, fluffy slippers. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to talk to Ben about something."

Evie nodded and climbed into bed. "Take your time; I'll be here if you need me."

Mal nodded, slung on her dressing gown and made her way out of her room and down the corridor. Once again, it was late - almost midnight - but Mal just knew that Ben wouldn't be asleep yet. Not after spending most of his time with Jay for his Goodness Test.

It didn't take long to get to Ben's room - she knew the route now. As she got closer, her footsteps slowed. A step closer was making her doubt herself - would he want to see her? Would she be allowed in? She sent his guards a sheepish smile as she approached his bedroom door. That confirmed he was there.

Sending another glance at the guards, Mal then decided to knock - it wasn't like they were stopping or even questioning her.

It took a few moments before the door opened to reveal a very stressed Ben, his hair a mess - he'd obviously been running his hands through it. He relaxed when he saw her. "Mal, what are you doing here?" he asked, his eyes running down her body. He'd never seen her in pyjamas before.

"Can I come in?" she asked, glancing at the guards.

He stepped to the side and allowed her inside. "I wish to not be disturbed," he told the guards before closing the door. "Are you okay?"

It really didn't feel like they were broken up. He still treated her the same way, had held her close on a few occasions, and even let her into his room in the middle of the night. Though this was the first time the latter had occurred. If she hadn't returned the ring, she would have fully presumed they were still engaged. Maybe he really hadn't meant it. Looking up at him, she decided to just let instinct take over and leant up, touching his lips with hers.

Without hesitation he responded, his hands finding a place on her hips. She was the one who pulled back, her good hand intertwined into his hair and her left hand resting on his shoulder. "I love you."

He smiled, dropping a quick kiss on her lips. "I love you." Another kiss. "More than you know." Another.

"I think I know," she whispered, pulling him in for a long and deep kiss. Her mind didn't stop and she wondered if she had been wrong about Ben being as 'good' as she thought. She'd never tried anything too far with him because she presumed he wouldn't want to and didn't want to put him in that position. However, all of the signs told her otherwise. Him hiding them away in a room, making out weeks ago, and asking to run away - she had been the one to reject that. Would he have actually taken them somewhere had she agreed? When she had cheekily asked him to join her in the bath, he hadn't said no, he'd blushed intensely, but she didn't even give him time to accept it. What would he have said?

So, perhaps it was time for Mal to let Ben decide what they did and tell her when to stop. On that note, she let her hands curl up the bottom of his untucked polo top and tug it upwards. He didn't stop kissing her, his arms roaming over her back. Mal ended the kiss and pulled his top higher and then he _let her_ take it off him, leaving him topless. Her eyes roamed over his torso longingly and almost missed him pulling her pyjama top up. She lifted her arms and let him remove it.

His hand slid across her cheek lovingly as he pulled her back to him, kissing her softly and holding her close.

* * *

Mal squeezed her eyes closed as the morning sun blinded her through the window. She rolled over and buried her face into Ben's naked chest. His arms immediately came around her, holding her close. She could easily get used to waking up like this, though she'd prefer to keep her eyesight - he needed better curtains.

She let out a sound of complaint when he moved but he came back and slid something on her finger. She opened her eyes and saw her engagement ring. A smile instantly made its way to her face and she placed a single kiss to his chest.

"Thought you'd like it back," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"It'll never come off again."

Even though they didn't say it in so many words, they were officially back together. So much for her plan of talking through things, but they'd have the rest of their lives to discuss it.

"I love you."

"I love you."

The two of them stayed in each other's embrace for nearly an hour, Mal having nodded off for most of it.

"We should get up, my parents have a habit of getting here early," Ben told her regretfully.

Them finding them in bed together before had been extremely awkward and it was under completely innocent circumstances. If they walked in now, it would be clear what had occurred and it wasn't like she could simply walk out - she'd have to find all of her clothes first. She sat up suddenly.

"I have to walk through the castle in my pyjamas. What's the time?"

He sat up with alarm, but chuckled when he realised why she was panicked. "It's nearly 6am."

Mal looked at him as if he was crazy. "Who gets up this early in the morning?"

That only ignited more laughter from him. "Only the staff should be up, but they don't usually come into this wing until 7am unless called for. If you want to be unnoticed, it'll have to be soon."

She leant over and gave him a quick but deep kiss before sliding out of bed and slipping on her pyjamas. "I'm going back to sleep," she informed him, sliding on her slippers.

He pulled on his boxers and approached her. His hands instantly made their way to her hips as he smiled at her. "Breakfast is at 8:30, then it's writing and calligraphy skills."

"I might be there," she teased before he kissed her softly. "I love you."

"I love you," he replied, tucking some of her loose hair behind her ear.

Mal smiled at him before poking her head out of the door, looking at the same guards from the night before, and quickly walking back to her room. Thankfully she didn't bump into anybody. Though she _did_ have to deal with Evie.

The blue-haired girl sat up at the door being opened and sent her a questioning look. "All night? How much did you two talk?"

"Not much," Mal admitted, looking in the mirror and undoing her hair. She was sure Ben's hands had been in it and was curious to how it was still even a semblance of a braid.

"You were gone six hours, M. What did you do?"

Instead of answering, Mal held up her bruised hand with the engagement ring being a focal point.

Evie squealed in joy and jumped out of bed, walking over and examining it as if she hadn't seen it before. "I thought you were going to wait until after the test?" she asked. "What changed?"

Should she tell her?

"You can't tell anybody what I'm about to tell you."

"I promise."

"Last night… I realised that apart from us actually breaking up, it didn't feel like we weren't together. We were still close and both still loved each other. I had made peace with Harry and realised it wasn't some weird love triangle, I just had to be clear with both of them. So, when I saw Ben, I decided to just let go and let him decide what to do or when to stop or… if he wanted to talk." Mal paused, watching Evie's expression carefully. "And we didn't stop."

Evie waited for her to continue. "Didn't stop what?"

"Ben and I slept together. Actually… we made love - that phrase for it actually makes sense now," she revealed, watching Evie's eyes widen and mouth drop open in absolute shock. Evie had never chosen to have sex before so this was probably a big revelation. After all, Mal had done it in the past and wasn't new to this, but for Evie, it was clearly a shock. Who knew what was going on in her head?

"But he's the king," she finally sputtered out, making Mal laugh. "Don't you have to wait until marriage here?"

Mal shrugged innocently. "Nope. I'm sure Ben would have stopped us if you _had_ to wait. It's all about choices, E." She picked up a brush and ran it through her hair. "It felt good, if you were wondering."

"That's it, I want _all_ of the details," Evie decided, taking the brush out of Mal's hand and starting to do her hair.

"Don't put my hair up, I need a shower," Mal told her friend, who just began to brush it repeatedly instead. Mal took a breath before going into the details - though, not all of them. There were still some things she wanted to keep between just her and Ben. But she knew her friend needed to know some things. Even though she never admitted it, Evie was scared of that kind of intimacy due to what had happened on the Isle.

Evie didn't once stop brushing Mal's hair. "How did he react to your scars?"

Mal paused and looked at the blue-haired girl through the mirror. "He… didn't. Yesterday during the day, when showing one of the memories to help Jay pass the test, he saw when I was slashed with a sword. And I showed him the scar it created. But last night… he didn't mention the scars or even look at them. That just…" she stumbled over her words for a moment. "When you love each other and are in the moment, those things just aren't important."

"You're so lucky to have Ben," Evie sighed.

Mal stood up and turned around. "And you're lucky to have Doug. I'm jumping in the shower before I fall asleep," she said, walking into the bathroom. "Oh," she said as she turned on the shower, "I'm skipping breakfast. Come and get me at lunch."

She heard Evie immediately beginning to move and laughed before jumping into the shower.

* * *

Mal had slept until eleven and was ready by the time Evie turned up to alert her it was lunchtime. She wasn't upset about missing the morning activity but did miss having breakfast; her stomach was complaining loudly as she walked down to lunch.

The afternoon was left clear again and all of the VKs sat around the dining room table for an hour and revised. Evie went around helping with science specifically, while Carlos, Jay, and Mal went around and pitched in where they were needed.

After that, they opted to play more sports until dinner. It was only half an hour before dinner that they were told the activity that evening would be dancing. Evie had instantly dragged her back upstairs to get ready. Her blue-haired friend had been panicked that she couldn't sort two outfits out in that little time.

Thankfully, Mal came to the rescue by showing Evie her walk-in-closet, which seemed to have new clothes every day. She really needed to find out who was doing that. She made a mental note to ask Ben at some point.

Evie had selected the darkest purple dress they had there for Mal, which was almost like a cupcake dress. But it fit her perfectly and didn't need any adjustments.

The two girls were fully ready by the time that dinner came around and Mal had been warned to not make a mess.

Ben hadn't made it down for dinner, but Mal was hopeful he'd turn up for at least one dance. As they were sitting there, a thought suddenly came to her. "Wait, I thought you had your Goodness Test today? Did they cancel it?"

Evie let out a laugh. "I did it this morning. Do you know how difficult it was to not tell them all that you and Ben… you know."

"E!"

"What? Nobody's listening," the blue-haired girl said too casually. "I passed with flying colours!"

Mal laughed as she shook her head. It seemed that Fairy Godmother had worked out the kinks that occurred with Jay. Though, she was still unhappy she was passed over for the test simply because she was going to be at the castle longer. She was older than Evie, after all.

She was pleased, though, that Harry was passed over and wouldn't have to take his until the end of summer, and that Fairy Godmother was planning a staggered test for him over summer so it would go smoothly.

In fact, she was planning on giving all the children a taste of the test over summer, apart from Carlos who was taking his tomorrow. Even though he was still just seventeen and wouldn't be eighteen for a few months, they decided now would be the best time to do it. Carlos didn't mind, although he did admit he was more nervous about his girlfriend's mum seeing his past than taking the test itself.

* * *

Mal and Evie walked into the ballroom, the latter being far more excited than the former, and looked around. It was huge. The staircase from the east wing descended into the room. The piano was set up to the side with somebody already playing soothing music.

Evie was in a full ball gown and looked the most prepared. Mal actually believed that her friend would be the most equipped to this today, presuming that the girl's mother had taught her how to dance. Mal wasn't overly confident with dancing, although Ben had taught her a lot and they constantly danced around together when they were alone. He always led. Hopefully, it would be enough for her to not be at a loss there.

All of the VKs were already there, meaning Evie and Mal had either been late, or everybody else had been early.

"Lady Mal," one of them greeted her, causing every palace staff, instructor, and musician to all stand and then drop into low bows or curtsies. The younger VKs quickly joined in.

Mal was at a loss of what to do for a second when they didn't rise. She quickly dropped into a curtsy before addressing them. "Thank you for coming today, it is a pleasure to have you."

That seemed to suffice because they all got back to what they were doing, apart from the instructor who had said her name. He, instead, approached her, offering her a short bow before speaking directly to her. "We were pleased to receive the palace's call regarding this. It is an honour to instruct the friends and family of the royals and educate those who have not been given the chance until now. Please give our thanks to the King for the honour he has bestowed upon us."

"On behalf of everybody present," Ben began as he walked into the room, coming to stand beside Mal - she had ever been more relieved for him to appear. "We accept your thanks and offer you everything you may need for this evening."

"Your Majesty," the instructor spoke, dropping into the same low bow. Once again, everybody joined in, including all of the VKs.

Mal dropped into a small curtsy when Ben did, following his example. They all came up without needing Ben to speak. Mal made a mental note to remember to curtsy back if somebody didn't stand afterwards.

"Will you be joining us today?" the man asked.

Ben gave the man a polite look. "Unfortunately, my schedule is rather full. However, I will make time to give my love a spin around the floor later."

Mal didn't know why, but Ben calling her his love made her blush.

"Of course, your Majesty. We look forward to being graced with your presence later, and promise on our lives to take care of Lady Mal in your absence."

"Thank you, Instructor Albert," Ben replied. He turned, his hand coming to Mal's back, and led her out of the room.

Mal went with him; the whole situation was completely foreign to her. Usually, she was given a step by step instruction when she was attending a formal event. A dance lesson was not one of them.

Ben stopped them at the bottom of the stairs. "It's his first time at the palace and meeting any member of the royal family. His studio offered to teach the VKs for free a few months ago - they have an outreach program for any child across Auradon and neighbouring countries to ensure that everybody would know at least two formal dances in case they need it. They usually host events regularly. Because of this, we accepted their offer on the condition we were allowed to pay them for their hospitality." He played with the tips of her wavy hair. "He's a bit nervous about being here. I overheard him admitting that he wasn't expecting to hear back from us."

"Really?" she asked; the situation made a bit more sense to her. "Do you get a lot of offers?"

"Everyday. It's one of the many weekly projects I go through," Ben replied.

Mal saw Lumiere approaching. "I'll see you later. I'm looking forward to that dance."

Ben grinned, glanced at Lumiere before bending down and dropping a soft kiss to her lips. "I love you."

She grinned back. "I love you more."

Ben had turned away but froze; he heard the teasing challenge and was clearly tempted to try and one-up her declaration. But Mal just grinned and walked off back into the hall, knowing Ben wouldn't follow her. He had things to attend to and couldn't break his formal outlook in front of the guests.

Mal paused as she walked in and looked around. They were all getting partnered up by height. Jay was the tallest male, followed by Harry. Evie was taller than her and Dizzy just shorter… With that realisation she made her way to Carlos and curtsied. "May I have this dance?"

He bowed back and offered his hand. "It would be my pleasure."

She grinned and they put themselves into the proper position, though she wasn't sure what dance they were learning. When Carlos began to lead her, she followed, recognising the steps but having no name to put to them. They came to a stop after a minute.

"Where'd you learn to do that?"

"Jane."

"A great waltz, Lady Mal. You have the basic steps down perfectly," Instructor Albert announced. "That will come in useful when we learn the Auradian Waltz later. For now, we will focus on the Tango."

She gave a confirming nod, having no idea what he was talking about.

The next two and a half hours were exhausting- the twins had actually fallen asleep on each other under the piano, around half an hour ago. Mal walked over to one of the palace staff. "Could somebody escort Squirmy and Squeaky to their rooms?"

He nodded and walked off. Within minutes, the two boys were carried off.

Mal walked back over to Carlos.

"We'll have four couples up first for the Auradian Waltz. You must have precise timing to pass your ladies off correctly." He indicated for Dizzy to be passed to Carlos and Celia to be passed to Jay. Mal took a breath. They were going full out now. The Tango had been difficult, but it was only her and Carlos; now she had to be conscious of everybody else in the room.

And deal with dancing with a different partner.

She took a deep breath and got herself into the correct position, taking this seriously. It was essential for her future and taking up the opportunity now could save her embarrassment later. The music started playing and they waited for their cue before Carlos began to lead her around the floor. So far so good. The two of them were good at dancing with each other.

Here it goes. She was spun out of Carlos' friendly hold and straight into Harry's, who did not look as confident as her previous partner. When Harry did the wrong step, Mal faltered. While he tried to recover and continue, Mal's mind went blank as to what she was supposed to do.

"Stop! What happened?" Instructor Albert questioned. But he didn't let them answer. "Start at spinning into your new partners. 5, 6, 7, 8."

Harry quickly positioned himself correctly and led her, this time correctly. However, it didn't last long. He was making small errors which were throwing Mal off her game. When he spun her out and she landed in Carlos' hold, she was thoroughly confused but still dancing. After a few steps with Carlos, she relaxed and regained her composure. Mal wasn't the most confident dancer, and if her partner stumbled, she couldn't continue on smoothly. That was something she'd need to practice for sure.

She gracefully spun back into Harry's arms and had to hold back a laugh when she saw Dizzy get spun in the wrong direction and Carlos quickly slide over to catch her. Things were slowly beginning to unravel and this dance was a continuous one. Anybody could join and leave - which was something Mal didn't know how to do, but knew she was about to find out as Instructor Albert indicated to Carlos and Dizzy what was going to happen.

As she and Harry clumsily continued to dance, she saw him nod to the instructor and stepped on her toes. Mal frowned at him. That hurt. When she finally found herself back in Carlos's arms, he was moving with bigger strides - she knew it was to get them back on track with the dance. Mal was so focused on keeping up with the dance that she didn't notice who the new pair was until she found herself in Adam's arms.

"Having fun?" he asked her as he smoothly led her around the room with expert ease. "I see you're wearing the ring again."

"We worked things out," was Mal's only response. If he really expected her to talk and dance, then she'd be stepping on his toes.

When he changed up the moves and lifted her, she let out a small gasp. "Not get that far in the dance yet?"

"There are lifts?" she responded with wide eyes.

Adam laughed and came to a stop with her in the middle of the dance floor. Everybody else followed suit. "They're optional. There are a few optional dance moves that I'll teach you." He stepped away from her. "I do apologise, but I must insist that the younger students retire to bed. Those of age may remain up for a further hour."

There were a few mumbled complaints, but seeing as Nathan had to lead a nearly sleeping Nate the correct way, Mal knew it was the right decision. Though, part of her wished she was sent to bed too. Even though she had gone back to sleep until eleven, she was still tired.

Adam turned back to her. "Are you ready to show them how it's done?"

Mal smiled. "With you? Any time."

Getting into position with him was much different than with Carlos. Adam was much taller and broader, his whole stature was strong and secure. "Just follow my lead," he said supportively as the music began.

Forcing herself to stay relaxed, she let herself be led around the dance floor and smiled at how confident Adam was. It made it so much easier to follow when there was no hesitation from the other person. She even got her footing right - from what she remembered, anyway.

When she was spun out of his arms, she wasn't sure whose she was going to land in but found herself face to face with Ben. He did say he'd be back for a dance. It was after a few steps that she came across the first of the optional changes and rejoiced in the lift - one he'd done countless times before.

The dance continued on for several minutes and Mal wasn't sure how much more spinning she could do - did this dance ever end? When Ben dipped her low, she closed her eyes and slowly let herself be pulled back to him. They missed the next beat but it seemed neither of them cared as their eyes met. Mal was the one who made the next moved and pressed her lips against his. His arms instantly wrapped around her and pulled her closer.

Mal melted into the kiss and almost forgot they weren't alone until the piano stopped playing. She was the one that pulled back. Ben leant forward, capturing her lips again for a split second before pulling back and loosening his hold on her. "If all dances ended that way, let's do this every night."

A genuine laugh left her lips as she rolled her eyes at him. "Of course, because it's the only possible time I'd kiss you."

He smiled widely at her. "I have to get back to work, a few things need to be sorted before tomorrow. But I promised you a dance."

"I'll come with you. I want to learn what you do," she said. He gave her an uncertain look. "I promise to not distract you."

He accepted it and took her hand. "Albert, I cannot express my gratitude enough for you taking the time out of this evening to teach the children from the Isle of the Lost some of the traditional dances of our kingdom. I hope that we will be able to arrange another event in the future."

"It would be my honour, your Majesty."

"And if you need anything in the meantime, please send a request our way," Ben finished, dropping his head in a small bow.

Albert bowed low in reply.

Mal smiled and gave a small curtsy. "Thank you very much for your time. I really value everything you taught me today."

"You're very welcome, Lady Mal," he replied, dropping into another low bow.

The two of them turned and left the room, hand-in-hand.

* * *

Mal had woken up with a yawn on Monday morning and stretched out, instantly falling into confusion at her location. She was back in her room. Last she remembered she was sitting on Ben's lap as he worked through a big pile of boring papers. She did remember her head resting on his shoulder. Originally Mal had thought that Ben had carried her in here, only to be informed by Evie that Adam had carried her in at about 11pm. Evie had revealed it was mildly awkward once the former king had noticed Evie staying in the room, too. That was something Mal wished she had woken up for.

The morning involved the VKs being given the chance to cook. Carlos had to miss it because of his Goodness Test and had asked Evie to accompany him. Due to the extra person in there, Ben decided to take a step back and remain in his office to carry on with Kingly duties - he really was working overtime.

Jay had left early in the morning - wanting to spend time with Lonnie before she left for Swords Summer Camp the following day.

That would have left just Harry, Mal, and the younger VKs. Therefore, even though Mal actually enjoyed cooking, she found herself back with Ben in his office. Though, instead of falling asleep on him, she actually ended up helping him sort through letters sent to him. Reading them and making piles actually made her start to understand the whole country more than she had believed possible.

It was once she had sorted the stack that she began to get bored and sat on Ben's lap, watching him signing papers. She couldn't even be bothered to read what he was signing, though.

Eventually, she began to get handsy and kissed his neck a few times.

"Mal," he said softly. She hummed against his neck in response. "What are you doing?" His voice was raspy. She liked that.

"Distracting you," she replied before dropping more kisses on his neck and up the side of his face.

He let out a noise of temptation. "I have to get these signed today."

She hummed. "It's still morning."

One of Ben's hands came around her waist and she was sure he was going to move her off him. "It's important, just give me three minutes."

Mal let out a groan but accepted his response, resting her head on his shoulder as she waited. She heard the door open a minute later but didn't move, hoping it was just Mrs Potts with food and that he wouldn't be pulled in for something important.

"This is a familiar sight," Belle spoke.

Mal's head poked up and looked at them with a sheepish smile. "Hi."

"Sleepy?" Adam asked.

She shook her head and got off Ben's lap. So much for distracting him. "Just bored. I did sort through all of his post though."

Adam looked at the extremely neat piles and looked impressed. "If you're bored… why don't you go to the cooking class?"

"It's not the same without Evie, Jay, Carlos, or this hunk being there," she said, placing her hand on Ben's head. Ben's head turned up suddenly at 'hunk'; she could only imagine his expression at the little nickname. "Besides, Mrs Potts let me know they were starting with bread and I didn't feel like kneading repeatedly with my hand. It does still hurt. I'm never punching anybody again."

"That's good to hear, dear," Belle said with a smile on her face. Her eyes showed that she was highly amused by this whole situation.

Mal began to mess up Ben's hair without even looking at him - he still hadn't turned his attention back to his work. This was a more fun way of distracting him - for now, anyway. Suddenly, she realised that Adam and Belle probably had a point to come here. "Did you want to talk to Ben alone?"

"That's okay, dear. You'll find out anyway," Belle said, her voice suddenly sombre and it was at that moment that Mal realised that both of them looked rather put out. They had brightened up when they entered the room but something was wrong.

Adam took over. "We've had to suspend the Goodness Test for Carlos due to… the effect it was having on him. The abuse he received at his mother's hand was extensive."

Mal looked down. She was surprised that they hadn't mentioned Jay's abuse but knew that he would have been better at hiding it. From what she'd heard, most of his memories included her directly or were set after leaving the Isle. Evie's mother had never physically abused her - she was lucky. Carlos, however, wasn't as strong-willed as Jay and probably didn't think about what he was showing until it was too late. Mal was sure his abuse was worse than hers as for the most part; her mother didn't hurt her physically - most of the time.

"Did you know?" Ben asked her and she quickly pulled her hand from his hair as if he'd burnt her.

She forced herself to look at him and nodded. Shock instantly filled his eyes and she was sure there was mild anger too. "Apart from Evie, all of us were physically abused by our parents. That was normal and not something that any of us wanted you to know. What would it have helped?" That only increased his shock but there was something else there - not anger - that made her regret her words. Too late now, though. "Carlos was the worst. His mother was absolutely crazy and usually took it out on him." She paused and stepped away from Ben when he reached for her. "I should check on him."

She didn't have the chance to take another step as Ben was suddenly by her side with his arms around her.

Mal's eyes closed as she buried her head against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat for a while before pulling back. "I'm fine, Ben. I dealt with this a long time ago. Carlos didn't want Fairy Godmother to know about what happened to him, so he needs my support too." She pulled away from him and turned to Adam and Belle who looked as though they wanted to hold onto her and protect her from the world too. With a comforting smile, she hugged both of them, feeling their arms securely holding her. Eventually, she managed to pull back. "Can you speak to Fairy Godmother and make sure she doesn't tell anybody, especially Jane?"

"Of course, dear."

Mal looked at Ben, trying to work out what he was thinking, before walking out of the room and looking for Carlos and Evie.

She found them very quickly and was relieved that even though he was extremely rattled, Evie had dealt with it expertly. When she told him he was safe, it was true. His mother couldn't get him here - none of their parents could.

Mal didn't manage to see Ben for the next few hours and instead spent time with her friends. When it was time for them to go, she actually felt really sad. This would be the first time since the Isle that she wouldn't see them everyday for longer than two days and it was rather emotional. Spending the two days away before was difficult, but now it would be a week. She definitely hugged Evie for the longest and watched all of the VKs getting into the car one at a time.

Adam and Belle were there to wave them off after lunch too, but Ben hadn't made an appearance.

Once the limousine was out of sight she turned to her future parents-in-law.

"Everything okay?" she questioned, looking between them,

There was silence for a second before Adam spoke. "Tomorrow will be your Goodness Test."

Mal nodded. Now she understood the tension. They were fearing what they'd find out about her, especially about her 'everybody gets abused' comment. That was something she hadn't mentioned to Ben before - perhaps it was something she should have mentioned to him before. Maybe sharing her past horrors was as important as her past struggles. "Okay. See you then," she said before quickly walking off.

Mal had accepted that she'd have to take this test and that her whole life from before would be revealed. She wasn't, however, prepared for their reaction. Especially Belle's - that woman wore everything on her sleeve.

She instantly made her way to Ben's office and walked straight in - she only thought about knocking after as she saw him on the phone. That would have been incredibly awkward and rude had he been in a meeting. He waved her over and she swung the door closed before picking up a chair and carrying it over.

A little attempt at being civilised and professional was important, even if she did climb onto his lap after a few minutes.

Absentmindedly looking around the room, Mal wondered who had decorated it. It didn't feel like Ben, nor did it feel like Adam. Perhaps Belle? The pale creams were so bland. She quickly bottled away the urge to paint his walls - that would not be royal. But creating a painting for this room could work. She'd seen plenty of portraits of royals but mainly Adam and Belle.

With that on her mind, she picked up a random piece of paper, made sure it was blank, then grabbed one of his pencils and beginning to sketch him.

Over the next twenty minutes, she had put her legs on Ben - as if he were a cushion - and leant back in her chair as she continued to sketch him, constantly looking up from the drawing to the real-life person. He caught her looking a few times and smiled every time. She couldn't help but smile back at him.

When he finally ended the call, his hands instantly came to her lower legs and began to massage them. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked formally.

Mal couldn't help but laugh as she began to do the final touches on the drawing. "I'm doing some very important work, you'll have to hold on, your Majesty," she said, her voice completely teasing.

Ben laughed and simply picked up his tablet from the desk. It was clear he simply did some more of his work. She kicked off her shoes to distract him and he laughed again.

After another five minutes, it was ready. "I am now free."

He grinned and after two swipes, put the tablet down, instantly returning his hands to her legs. "What important work were you doing, my lady?"

That was a new nickname. "Well, your lordship. I'm not sure your clearance is high enough."

"Hmm," he verbalised. "I'm sure the King would pardon me."

"Very well," she relented, letting him win the little game they were playing and handing the paper to him.

Ben's eyes widened as he examined it. "This is incredible! I've only ever seen you use paint but this is… wow."

Mal chuckled. "Very articulate."

"It really is amazing, Mal. Can I keep it?"

"Sure." She really hadn't expected him to want it; she'd spent less than half an hour on it.

He grabbed a frame from his drawer - why he had it there was beyond her - and instantly slipped the drawing in and placed it on his desk. It was only then that she looked at his desk properly- it wasn't as cluttered with as much paperwork as usual and she saw a few more frames; two of them had hints of purple in the pictures. It didn't take her long to realise one was just her, and the other one was of the two of them. He had her on his desk? That was something she did not expect.

"What are you thinking?"

Mal looked at him, suddenly remembering the reason she came here.

"Oh!" she exclaimed loudly, making him laugh. She was not in the same framework as before but went on. "I realised that I hadn't told you anything about my mother's abuse and thought I'd find you before the Goodness Test tomorrow so it's not too… weird."

His expression instantly sombred and she felt bad; he had been so happy two seconds ago. "Was it bad?"

"No," she answered. A sigh left her lips- that was a lie. "Yes. I was lucky… in one way… my mother didn't consistently beat me or anything. She wanted me to be strong and if she tore me down at home then I could be beaten in the streets - that would have been an embarrassment on her." She paused, taking a moment to enjoy his hands massaging her feet. "I think the worst thing she did was when she tried to kill me… well, she tried twice. I actually think she was proud of me for living."

Ben's hands were extremely tense and still against her.

Despite this, she decided to continue. If she stopped, she might not be able to finish telling him. "The most memorable would be…" she drifted off, feeling a sob rising to her throat but forcing it down. Her mind flooded with the memory of what had happened and she could recall her screams of pain. "When she, uh…" She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"You don't need to tell me," Ben said soothingly, slipping out of his frozen shock. He pulled her onto his lap easily and held his arms around her protectively.

She felt so weak. Why couldn't she talk about it? It was years ago. Her mother couldn't get to her anymore. But, she could - every time Mal thought about her or had a nightmare, or saw the scarring over her hip and upper thigh.

Almost being burnt alive was traumatising and it was something that Mal could never forget.

* * *

**A nice long chapter for you all!**

**If you want to see Mal's goodness test, leave a review. I initially decided to not include it (it's half-written) but will include it or snippets if you want it. **

**Thanks!**


	20. Goodness Test - Mal

**GOODNESS TEST - MAL**

Mal had a lot of anxiety about her Goodness test. She knew that Jay and Evie had passed it without too many problems. However, Carlos did not. Going through her life was an extremely daunting task and she wasn't looking forward to it at all.

Ben hadn't left her all morning. They had scheduled the test to start straight after lunch for some unknown reason. Mal smiled as Fairy Godmother approached.

"Good afternoon," Mal said.

"Good afternoon." The older woman smiled softly at her. "Where would you feel the most comfortable doing this?"

Mal shrugged. "I don't mind. Somewhere with a comfy seat?"

With another smile, she led Mal into a different study. The fireplace was absolutely stunning with a mixture of different shades of blue small tiles creating the illusion of a brick wall. A white marble shelf on top which held the most exquisite ornaments Mal had seen. Her fingertips brushed over the smooth surface before picking up a cast of a small hand. It was heavy.

"That's one of my favourites," Belle said, making Mal jump - she didn't know that Belle was in here. "Ben was four months when we took the cast of his hand. He always had his hands open and reached out to us since he was born - at least, that's what it seemed like to me."

"It's precious. Hopefully, his hand wasn't this heavy!"

Belle laughed. "No, he was a tiny thing."

Mal placed the ornament carefully back on the shelf. "What was he like as a child?"

"A real trouble-maker. He learnt to crawl when he was eight months old and constantly hid beneath anything he could squeeze under. It was as if we were playing hide and seek every time we turned our backs to him."

"Where was the weirdest place he hid?"

Belle thought for a moment then smiled fondly. "He was one and a half. He was walking then so didn't hide as much. We were visiting the Charmings. Back then Chad was very shy and hid behind his mother's legs a lot. During the grand ball there, Chad hid under his mother's dress to hold onto her legs and Ben followed him."

Mal's mouth dropped open as she watched Belle laugh at the memory.

"Why are you telling her that story?" Ben asked, walking into the room looking absolutely mortified.

Mal held a hand over her mouth as she attempted to contain her laughter before sitting down on a chair and looking at the large crystal ball Fairy Godmother had placed down. The three royals sat on the couch.

"We'll go slowly at your pace. The first part doesn't show us anything, it'll just light up green, yellow, orange, or red."

Mal nodded before hesitantly following instructions and placing her hand on a small crystal ball that had been placed directly in front of her. She watched as it changed colours and saw that Fairy Godmother had a crystal tablet that changed colours with it.

"Our first actions would be to visit the red sections. Those need to be fully addressed, whereas the yellows and oranges usually change to green on their own during the general memory recap."

Mal nodded along. "What do I need to do?"

Fairy Godmother uttered a spell and the crystal turned red. "You think of a memory, or of a person, or even what you're being accused of and it'll play in front of us. Sometimes it's seeing something in context and sometimes it'll need to be discussed or pardoned." Mal nodded - she could do that. "The first red section is… that you've planned on murdering a member of the royal family."

The eighteen-year-old's mouth dropped open. "I never… no… not even with my mother. It was never murder, just… revenge and taking over."

"We believe you, dear," Belle said supportively.

"We still need to…"

"Fine," Mal interrupted her. She let out a sigh and thought about murdering one of the three royals in front of her. She was shocked when a memory popped up. Her eyes widened as she knew exactly what was about to happen. "No, stop it!"

"You can't. It has to play out."

Great. This was going to be a long test. Mal watched as eight-year-old her touched the barrier with absolute wonder in her eyes. She couldn't even remember being that happy. A flash of green sent both her and young-Harry flying off in different directions, a scream coming out of her young self's mouth. Mal couldn't remember the green light, nor did she know that Harry had gone flying into the water either. She watched Harry resurface, gasping for air and looking around before diving into the water and pulling Mal out.

It was heartbreaking to see how distraught young she was and had to look away, watching the reactions of the others in her room. Belle had a hand over her mouth and Adam was holding her close. Ben was focused purely on the ball, and Fairy Godmother seemed to be taking notes.

She looked back at the screen when little Mal shouted how she was going to kill the King. It faded out as Harry said he'd hand her the sword.

"You created the barrier, and it almost killed me. I blamed you," Mal said softly, looking at Adam.

Adam smiled at her. "I'd have wanted to kill me too," he replied, making her feel better.

"Mum, you don't have to be here," Ben said, handing her a handkerchief.

Belle dapped her eyes. "I'm okay."

Mal realised that the small ball and crystal had gone green. That was easy. "What's next?"

"Violent acts."

"This is going to be a long night."

Adam reached over and rested a hand on her shoulder. "If your most violent acts doesn't include murder, it'll turn to orange. Which'll be good enough for today."

Mal was mildly comforted by that, she just hoped she hadn't murdered anybody without realising it. "Here goes nothing."

It only took a few seconds of placing her hand down for the memories to start to flood the crystal ball. She watched in disgust as versions of herself shoved others, attacked them, locked them up, bruised them, and terrorised them. She couldn't believe how many times she had pushed Uma off something, or how much she had hit Harry. Her eyes widened at the scene in Harry's bed when she had absolutely battered him while crying; she had broken his ribs that night and he never even found out why she had been upset. The sheer volume of memories of her bullying and terrorising Carlos seemed to shock them the most. The one that stood out the most to her was when she had held him down in order for Gil to kick him repeatedly when they were just ten.

Mal felt her eyes sting with tears, missing the last third of memories. She leant against the back of the chair and looked blankly up at the ceiling. When the sound stopped, she attempted to ignore the deafening silence created by the other occupants of the room. After a few minutes, she forced herself to look down and was relieved to see it had turned orange. "What else is red?"

Fairy Godmother looked over at her but Mal couldn't meet her eyes. "Parental influence."

"What?" Now she understood why they had been hesitant to have the VKs do the test. "You want to see how messed up my home life was?"

"Actually, you need to focus on any good advice and guidance given to you by a parent or a parent-like figure in your life."

Mal scoffed. "I doubt there is even one memory with that," she uttered loud enough for them to hear before complying.

Good advice. Anything good with a parent. Did her mother ever tell her anything positive? When a memory started, it caught her attention instantly.

She watched as seven-year-old her ran up to Hook in tears. Hook bent down and caught her with a big hug as she sobbed. Mal remembered this.

_Mal struggled to hold back her tears as she held onto Hook for dear life. "Where's Harry! I need Harry!"_

"_With his mother. What's wrong Mal?"_

_Mal shook her head vigorously, pulling back before holding onto Hook again. "I need to kill someone."_

"_What?" Hook asked, holding the hysterical child back and looking into her eyes. "Is that what your mother said?"_

_The purple-haired little girl nodded. "She said either I kill somebody or she'll kill me. I can't disappoint her, Hook. Please help me."_

_Hook pulled her into another hug before picking her up with ease and carrying her onto the boat before setting her down and kneeling to her level. "Don't do anything you don't want to do."_

"_But…"_

"_Listen to me. There are people around you who will help to keep you safe from your mother. Just say the word." Mal remained silent, wiping away her tears before shaking her head. Hook sighed. "Did you want to kill somebody?"_

_The little girl looked down in shame. "No. It's because I'm weak."_

"_Actually, it's because you're strong." She looked up at him. "You walk into your home and tell your mother that you murdered somebody. This person was so insignificant that you can't even remember his name, not that you'd utter it anyway. They weren't worth it."_

"_Who?"_

"_They don't even matter." Hook moved her hair back with his hook. "Learning to lie is what will keep you alive, not picking fights with others."_

_Mal nodded and wrapped her arms around him again. "I wish you were my Dad."_

Mal didn't have enough time to process that or even look to see others' reactions when three more scenes came up. Another one with Hook, one with her mother, and one with Belle and Adam.

"Right, what else?" she asked, wanting to rush through this quickly.

"We can take a break if you want."

Mal glanced at the varied of mixed emotions on everybody's faces and shrugged. "I'm fine. Remember, I lived this. The violent acts were more jarring than four good memories."

"You seemed a lot closer to Hook than we thought. Were-" Adam started.

"I'm going to stop you there. I don't care what memories you want to see, but I do not wish to discuss my time on the Isle."

Fairy Godmother seemed conflicted but didn't comment on her own words. It was obvious to Mal that she was supposed to be discussing each memory shown but until they specifically told her to, she would avoid it under all costs. She didn't want those memories coming back to front, even the good ones.

"How about we have a general overview? Any moment that you deem to be important with what made you today. Each memory usually only lasts a few seconds - there will be a discussion afterward. Then we can continue with anything red."

That was very ominous. Anything she deemed important to who she is now? If she could choose the memories she wouldn't choose anything before she came to Auradon. The temptation to take a break now was high but the thought of having to then willingly return was scarier than just doing it now. Glancing up at Ben to receive a supportive smile, she placed her hand back on the smaller crystal ball and closed her eyes. The sound of her younger voice forced her eyes open. The memories seemed to all merge into one.

"_Mamma…" two-year-old Mal cried_

"_Jay, you can't boss me around. My mum's better than your dad!" A fiery four-year-old Mal explained._

"_Mal, go back inside, this isn't the place for you." Jay ordered a five-year-old Mal. - "I can't, Mamma kicked me out."_

_Mal climbed up after Jay, only to fall down to the ground with a loud grow. "Come on shortcake! I'll leave you!"_

"_Can I come back?" six-year-old Mal asked Hades. The devastation reached her face as he said 'No'. _

"_You are a weak and useless little girl! You don't even deserve me as your mother! Don't bother coming back until you've proved yourself! Until you've killed somebody! If you do come back, then I'll get rid of you with my own hands. Worthless piece of shit."_

_Mal, aged seven, chased Gil around with a sword before engaging in a friendly fight with Uma. Soon Harry and the rest of the pirates joined in. "Ow!" Mal complained as Gil's sword sliced across her stomach. Crimson blood violently began to spill out and Hook ran out to grab the child before she fell to the ground. _

_Mal being thrown into the water and being rescued by Harry lasted only 3 seconds in the clip._

"_Do you think they know we're here?" Harry asked nine-year-old Mal as he was patching her up around the chest. It was clear she had broken some ribs. They both looked over at Auradon. - "They don't care about us, Harry. We're just kids of villains."_

"Oh, Mal!" Belle let out a teary sigh.

"_Mamma! You'll never guess what I got in evil class today!" an excited ten-year-old exclaimed as she ran into the room. - Maleficent rolled her eyes at her daughter. "You can't learn to be evil. This is why you're such a disappointment. Was it another scheme with your stupid so-called friends? If you were really evil you'd be rid of the rotten fish."_

_Mal scowled at a small Carlos. "No? Nobody says no to me!" She grabbed the terrified boy and grabbed him down the street onto the ship right onto the end of the plank. "Want to try that again?" The young boy spluttered an agreement to do it. Mal laughed evilly, Harry joining in as she pulled him back and threw him down, instantly kicking him. "Weak little boy."_

"I didn't see him for a month after he gave us one of his mother's fur coats. When he did return, he looked awful," Mal informed them remorsefully.

"_For now on, everybody will call her Shrimpy!"_

_Harry shoved Mal against the wall harshly. "Is this what you want Mal?" he looked at her in disgust. "You're weak. You're just your mother's puppet."_

"_I don't forgive easily, Mali," Hades whispered. - "Neither do I," she replied without missing a beat. _

"_I want you."_

Mal's whole body froze as she watched the near-rape scene occur. She didn't want them to see this. Somehow, it seemed to have been censored automatically - so at least there was that. The thud of him landing on the ground made Belle jump in shock. As Uma came onto the scene, holding a bloodied rock, it faded away. It was clear that the four of them missed the following one or two memories for the pure shock of what they had seen.

"_Can't you guys wait until I'm outta the house?" Hook complained looking at the two teens before leaving the house. Mal and Harry laughed. _

"_I'm not going to some stupid school with princes!"_

"_You will go and you will get me Fairy Godmother's wand."_

"_I love you."_

"_I love you."_

_Mal pulled her hand back from Ben who had been holding it too long. _

"_Evie! I need your help! Ben asked me out on… a date."_

"_I'm not hideous."_

_Mal looked out at the surroundings longingly before panic filled her features. "Ben? Ben!" She was in the water and rescued by him. _

"_I don't know what love is." - "Maybe I can teach you."_

"_Let's wait for the anti-love potion to take effect."_

"_I wasn't faking anything."_

"_I want to go to school and be with Ben. Because Ben makes me really happy!"_

"_Go away mother!"_

"Do we have to keep watching? You all know this." Mal asked impatiently.

"Yes, dear," Fairy Godmother replied.

"_Tell me about Doug," Mal said, igniting a squeal from her friend. _

_Evie laid down on her bed dramatically. "Do you ever just sit there and think about somebody until you fall asleep and then wake up with them on your mind?" She sighed contently. "What is that called?"_

"_Love."_

"_Uh… Mal, that's a big word. Can we have that?"_

"_I think we can."_

"_Ben's changed you."_

"_Shut up."_

"_There's my best friend."_

A stream of memories involving Ben continued until their engagement. Which seemed to play in slow motion.

Following that was the one that Mal dreaded. "Are you sure we can't stop it?"

_Mal looked horrified as Ben jumped out of the bed and crossed over to his desk while Adam and Belle stood in the doorway. _

Mal bit her lip to not laugh at the intense awkwardness in the memory but did let out a small chuckle when Mal had laughed hysterically as she walked back to her dorm.

_Harry had Mal against the wall, his eyes hyper-focused. He crashed his lips onto hers and two long seconds a green shot of magic ignited from Mal's hands, throwing him into the wall. "I'm with Ben!" _

"_Like you care." Almost immediately he had crashed against her, holding her up by her neck. He sneered. "I know you. If you really cared about him you wouldn't have spent the last week solely with me, no sign of the King." He paused, waiting for her to reply but all she did was struggle against his hold and attempt to breathe. "What we had doesn't just disappear. It can be our little secret again; that makes things more passionate."_

Mal looked down and just listened to the last memory. Ben and Mal breaking up. Her life's memories were more focused on everything bad that had happened to her. What she didn't fail to notice, was that Harry wasn't in that many memories; she had been sure he would have been a prominent feature. Even her Dad had made an appearance and he had abandoned her as a baby.

Silence filled the air. It was suffocating. Looking around at their faces, she saw a variety of emotions. Belle looked absolutely devastated. Adam seemed angry. Fairy Godmother was struggling to keep herself fully composed. And Ben was looking at her concerned - as if he was more interested in how she was doing now than what he had just seen.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. Mal let out a short nod, swallowing her saliva to give her something to do. "What needs to be discussed?"

Fairy Godmother looked completely unprepared at the question. "How about we all take a few minutes?"

Mal sighed and stood up. That's the last thing she wanted. Unfortunately, she knew this wasn't about her. "I'll be back," she said, walking out of the room. As she walked out, she felt the stress and tension leave her. It was so unnerving to be in there talking and watching _her past_.

She hadn't realised she was breathing so heavily until she froze as a hand came to her back. She relaxed as she saw it was Ben.

"Are you okay?" he repeated his question from before.

A sigh left her and she allowed her head to shake. "No. I don't want to see my past, or discuss it; I just want it to all disappear."

Ben moved her hair from her face before pulling her into his arms. She held onto him tightly, as if he were a lifeline. The thought that this might be one of the last times he comforted her started to make her feel extremely vulnerable - but she fought off the tears. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she replied into his chest.

His hands moved up and down her back supportively.

"I love you," he whispered, resting his head on hers.

"I love you," she replied easily. Being with him felt right.

He lowered his lips to hers in a kiss that definitely wasn't chaste.

The two of them only parted when somebody cleared their throat behind them.

"Are you two ready to continue?" Adam asked. He no longer looked as angry, he had calmed down.

Mal resumed her seat alone in the chair and looked at Fairy Godmother for instructions.

"Mal. There were many memories of yours which were concerning. We do have to ask if you've been able to adequately discuss your past with anybody. We can set you up with a counsellor."

"No thanks," she replied, mildly disgusted by the idea of telling a stranger anything. "Evie knows nearly everything and so does Ben."

She received a nod. "We were wondering if you'd be willing to answer questions that we have?"

Breathing in to keep herself calm, trying to not think about what they might be thinking, she nodded.

"Sure." Silence. No one asked anything. Mal looked at Adam. "Did you want to go first?"

"How old were you when you nearly drowned? Six? How early were you allowed out on your own?" he asked.

Mal was almost confused by the question, she hadn't been expecting something like that.

"I was eight then. I've always been small for my age." She cleared her throat. "I was four when I first went out by myself. Four and a half when it was longer than an hour. You had to learn young to take care of and defend yourself otherwise you simply wouldn't make it to the next day."

"Did people really attack you when you were that young?" Adam asked. She could feel the anger welling up inside of him again.

Mal nodded and placed her hand on the crystal ball to move it out of the way but jumped back when a memory started to play on the crystal ball. She watched as four-year-old her was taunted by the two men and thrown against the wall. She also watched as Hades scared them off and took her hand before leading her away.

"What happened to the boy that… tried to take advantage of you?" Belle asked, causing everybody to turn their direct attention to the former Queen.

All heads snapped to Mal when she answered. "He died."

"That would have come up in the violence…" Fairy Godmother drifted off.

"I didn't kill him. Uma did… she hit him too hard and he was dead by the time either of us thought to check on him," Mal specified.

Belle swallowed, obviously affected the most by that particular scene.

"How did you deal?"

Questions about her worst memories were what she was expecting, and now they were being asked.

"Badly. I beat Harry up, broke a couple of his ribs. Disappeared for a couple of days and then went on like it never happened." The expression on Belle's face was breaking her heart. "If anybody saw how affected I had been, or knew what had happened. Life would have been hell. The only people who knew about it before a few weeks ago were Uma and … actually, just Uma. Harry had no clue why I was so out of it nor why I'd taken it out on him."

"He just let you attack him?" Ben asked, his expression one of absolute bewilderment.

Mal nodded. "We had a very complicated relationship."

"Yeah, you told him you loved him."

Mal looked at Ben. "I did. Days before I got in that limousine here."

Fairy Godmother waved her hand over the large crystal ball and young Jay from her memories appeared. "How old was he here?"

"Five."

"When did you meet him?"

Mal let out a small scoff. "Jay and I have always known each other. Our parents were allies and constantly were around each other growing up. Jay always had more independence than me early on. We were never extremely close but were always there for each other when truly needed. We were only officially in the same crew after Evie came back into my life."

Fairy Godmother smiled. "That's sweet. It's nice to know how much history you and your friends have." Her smile faded as the image changed to a terrified Carlos.

She sighed. "He was nine here. I was never nice to him. Even when we were in the same crew - he came along with Evie; they were friends. At first, I had to learn to tolerate his neediness. He was rather clingy. But damn was he loyal."

"And you met Evie later in life?" the older fairy asked as Evie's picture came up.

"No. I knew Evie before Carlos. I hated her. She was a princess in the eyes of everybody - everybody loved her. I had planned to chop all of her hair off when I was six. She had a birthday party and I was the only child not invited. I complained to my Mum and she banished Evie and her mother from the Isle. They weren't even allowed to be seen in public, nor was Evie allowed to attend school. They lived in exile." She paused, the only person who wasn't shocked was Ben - he already knew this. "She came to school when we were thirteen. Still hated her. A few things happened and we became friends. The rest is history."

"Fairy Godmother," Ben said, taking over the conversation. "Has Mal passed the Goodness Test? I don't believe asking all of these questions relevant and they're very intrusive."

The older woman cleared her throat. "You just need to list your top three relationships. This has to be true."

"Top three relationships?"

"The three people you deem to be the closest two at this exact moment." She specified. "When you're ready, place your hand on the ball and tell me them."

Mal froze. "In order?"

"No order necessary."

That didn't help much but choosing who she was the closest to was an extremely difficult question. What was the correct answer? How could you possibly choose just three of her friends? Jay, Evie, and Carlos are three of the top people. But Ben has to be included. And she's become so close to Belle and Adam. Mal closed her eyes and thought back. There were actually only three people she'd told she loved them. Harry, then Ben, then Evie, and finally Belle. Harry was definitely not somebody she was currently close to. But could she choose Belle over Jay? He's been with her since the very beginning of her life. But they had never been extremely close.

She opened her eyes and stared at the ball with complete fear and wanted to crack a joke, but it made her think. Most people would probably choose their parents. Her mother had been a constant in her life and she still takes care of her as a lizard. In fact, Mal constantly talks to her mother. Would she be one of the top three? Mal knew it wouldn't be her father but almost wished it could be.

Surely, it would make sense to choose her own mother over Belle? That would be the best approach - the most truthful approach.

Mal slowly pocketed the engagement ring which she had been holding and shakily placed her hand on the ball - she was definitely overthinking this. "Evie, Ben, and…" she hesitated. "Belle."

The ball turned green and Mal couldn't help but look at Fairy Godmother to confirm it.

"You passed!"

"Yes!" she cheered, instantly standing up.

"I have to say, you passed with some orange and yellow, which means we'll have to do this again to counteract them before your wedding. A Queen has to have a fully green Goodness report."

Mal listened to Fairy Godmother's words but didn't care - it was over for now! She jumped into Ben's open arms with absolute joy.

* * *

**A/N. Thank you very much for your response to the last chapter!**

**I hope this chapter was liked amongst you from the many requests! **

**Let me know if you want any of the glimpses of memories further discussed within the story!**


	21. Decisions

**Decisions**

It was coming to the end of Mal's week with Ben at the palace and even though she loved it there, she was missing Evie a lot. Jay and Carlos too. She was currently sitting on the couch in Ben's office drawing. The two of them had plans to hang out in about an hour - he was doing much better and spending time with her now that the VKs were gone, also, he knew she was going to be around to had worked his butt off over the weekend - AKA, when the VKs were there - so he didn't have to work crazy hours.

Adam had expressed how proud he was at Ben not only catching up with all of his work but finding time during the day to maintain it too. Turns out that Mal was a good example.

Mal spent most of her time with Ben, either dancing around the ballroom, walking around the castle or gardens, doing some physical activities in one of their beds, or simply being in the same room as each other doing different things. He had brought her a sketch pad and drawing pencils and she was constantly adding more designs, rarely doing portraits. But today, she had decided to do one of Adam, Belle, and Ben.

Even though she had finished it ages ago, she continued to add small details to the background, making sure that the entire page was perfect.

Glancing up when somebody knocked on the door, she smiled when it was Adam and Belle. She hadn't seen them all day and that was peculiar these days. She had missed breakfast - having slept in considerably - and it wasn't quite time for lunch.

"I thought we'd find you both in here," Belle started, holding a binder in her arms. "Do you both have a moment?"

Mal nodded, closing her sketchpad and placing it on the table in front of her.

Ben carried on typing on his computer, not even looking up. "Five minutes," he uttered, fully engrossed in what he was doing.

Adam walked over to Ben and looked at what he was doing, whereas Belle sat down next to Mal and opened the binder to a random page. "It's time we went over wedding arrangements."

Oh no. "Shouldn't Evie be here?"

"It's not her wedding, it's yours."

Right… there was that. She looked over at Ben and could have sworn he slowed down his typing to avoid this. "Let's wait for Ben, shall we?"

Belle nodded. "Of course, we'll discuss your dress - he can't see it until the wedding day anyway." She opened the book to the relevant pages.

"That actually would be Evie's department. She's already got some sketches and we've discussed which ones I liked," she paused at Belle's slightly deflated look. "So, she's just doing some final sketches and getting some materials to go over later. I'll let you know when… if you wanted to come, that is. I'd love to have your opinion."

Her look instantly brightened up. "Of course. It would be my honour."

It wasn't long until Ben joined them and questions were thrown their way. Mal deflected most of the questions to Ben as she had no clue and wasn't entirely sure what she wanted. There were very few that were entirely her decision and that's what stopped the whole conversation.

"Now, in terms of giving you away, I've thought of a few options. There's obviously Jay and Carlos, or even Adam. It's entirely your choice. You could walk down the aisle solo, but that's unconventional. I'm sure nobody would mind though."

Mal felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Oh," she whispered. "I guess my Dad can't come over from the Isle to give me away then," she said regretfully and tried to think through the options given.

"Your Dad?" Ben questioned, breaking her from her thoughts. "You know who it is?"

She nodded. "Of course. He might not have been around but… I didn't really think much about him. It would have been nice to have one of my parents there - obviously, my Mum isn't an option. Dad's not an option either."

"We could make an exception," Ben spoke softly and sighed when his phone went off. He stood up and answered it. After a few seconds, he turned around stunned. "The Queen's crown and Maleficent's scepter have been stolen."

Mal's mind instantly forgot about their previous conversation. "Uma."

"We don't know that."

"Who else would it be?"

The wedding plans stopped there and Ben had to get back to his King duties, trying to work out how the museum was broken into and how to get the stolen items back. Also, any and all evidence that would point to who was responsible.

* * *

Mal hadn't been able to spend much time with Ben that day and actually spent most of her time in the art studio. She did a few random designs on some small canvases before pulling out her sketchpad and looking at the portrait of Adam, Belle, and Ben.

The last massive portrait she did was currently hanging in her room. She'd love to have another one. She chose an A3 canvas and instantly got to work, using her sketch as a guide.

It was a productive day and she carried the wet canvas to her room, laying it on the table to dry. The last time she did that, somebody hand hung it up for her once it was dry, so she hoped the same thing would happen.

* * *

Ben had been reluctant to let her leave after the crown and scepter were stolen. He was convinced it was a direct attack against her. Seeing as the crown was going to be hers and the scepter had been her mothers. But Mal put his mind at ease - for the most part - and left to go to Evie's as planned. It didn't surprise Mal that Dizzy, Celia, and Doug were all there.

Mal had told Evie about the prospect of closing the barrier and about what was stolen and was left thinking intensely about her friends' words. Evie cared more about the kids on the Isle than if her own life ended up in tatters.

It didn't take long until things went south, Audrey had shown up in all of her 'villainess' and attacked her, turning her into an old hag. Once the former schoolmate was gone, Mal couldn't help but think that Ben had been right. Perhaps she should have stayed at the castle - but would that have stopped Audrey getting to her? She wasn't so sure. Also, it would have stopped Mals' plans.

The only thing that Mal knew was stronger than her mother's scepter was her fathers' ember. If they could get it and quickly stop Audrey then Auradon would be safe and they could deal with Audrey in a civilised way. It would be too cruel to force Ben to go up against his ex, especially with everything he's been dealing with on top of all of the King duties.

The knowledge that Celia had been in contact with her father, when he had pushed her aside, set her heart on fire. He allowed her into his home and even have a key but wouldn't even let her know where it was? Perhaps she was weak. His words about being proud of her were a lie. Mal took a breath and quickly - well, slowly - made her way to the Isle with the other core three original VKs and Celia.

It was refreshing to be back here, and being in Dr Faciliates shop was fun. There were so many good memories here, though, Mal didn't let herself dwell on them for long; she was here on a mission not to reminisce.

Stepping into her father's dwelling was extremely nerve-wracking. The memories of the only time she was here were on her mind. But that didn't stop her from sneaking in. She held back the glare at Celia when she touched the recording device and alerted Hades to her presence. Now, Mal would never know if she would have gotten the ember undetected.

As Mal and her Dad began to argue, all those feelings coming up to the surface, Celia slowly snuck away. There was so much between them and there wasn't really any hate. Mal wished she could hate him. Though, he did relent and give over his ember. That alone told her that he did care for her.

After ensuring that Celia wouldn't mention anything about her connection with Hades and pushing all of those thoughts out of her mind, Mal let herself be angry at the pirates and Gil for stealing their bikes and having to walk back to Auradon on foot. As they began to cross the bridge, Gil jumped through effortlessly and cheered to himself.

That single event made Mal confident that closing the barrier for good for the right call. It's too dangerous to open it, anybody could escape. Gil managed to. The urge to open the barrier straight away and push him back through was high, however, that was all put on halt when Uma turned up. Oh, she hated Uma.

Mal wasn't sure why she listened, but when Uma began to list what Auradon had and the Isle didn't, she couldn't help but pay attention. Begging - in Uma's own way - to promise that all the kids who wanted to get off the Isle could, was confusing Mal. Even her worst enemy at the moment wanted to help the children. It was almost overwhelming. When Uma wanted to prove herself, that even she could put their differences aside and help, to prove that she could be good, Mal didn't feel she had a choice. Evie had intervened, saying that they were going to get all of the children off, but it would take time. Uma still insisted that it'll be done now, all now, instead of waiting.

Mal was angry when Evie agreed that they'd give Uma the chance to prove herself. Mal knew it was because Evie knew about the suggestion to close the barrier for good, if Ben and the other royals saw Uma change her ways, perhaps they'd rethink that idea. If only Evie knew whose idea it really was.

It was extremely weird for Mal to be working with Uma again. They had been great friends once upon a time. The falling out was entirely on Mal and seeing how the two of them were so in sync, she did regret letting her mother get to her. However, when your own mother tries to kill you for having friends, you gotta do what you gotta do.

When Evie had opened her mouth again and told Ben that Mal had promised to get all of the children of the Isle if Uma proved herself, Mal broke. She told them the truth and caused everybody to turn their back on her. She felt alone before they were turned to stone. It was like a visual representation of how she felt.

Mal knew that she had to do this alone. She had pushed her friends from her - that seemed to be a pattern of hers - now it was time to face those consequences. She gave it one last attempt to get Uma and Harry to help her, but both of them turned their backs on her. She didn't blame them. If it had been the other way around, she'd have done the same.

Even though she had no one, Mal still fought against Audrey and did everything she could to not hurt Celia in the process. In a stint of luck, Uma and Harry came back to assist and using Hades ember, Mal took down Audrey. Shock filled her as the princess wouldn't wake. That was not good at all. Harry had carried Audrey into the castle and everybody else met up with them.

Audrey was slipping away. She was going to die and that would have been on Mal. That is something that Mal would not be able to live with. She had ruined this girl's life and had never even given it a second thought. Now she was going to die. It was Hades Ember that took her down and only Hades ember could keep her from slipping away. This was risky.

The look on Ben's face when Mal admitted her parentage devastated her. Another secret. Mal wished she had told him before when it had come up in conversation. Now not only did he have to deal with another secret about her past - one which didn't come out in her Goodness test - but he had to decide whether or not to bring him over here to help. If Hades attacked or escaped, it would be his fault, and the only reason he would have allowed him out of the Isle was because of her. Her Dad could ruin everything for her. Mal looked down in shame when he sent the order to collect Hades.

Uma, Gil, Harry, and Celia all asked to return to the Isle for good if they were closing the barrier for good. That filled Mal with an immense amount of sadness. Harry had come so far and had even told her that he never wanted to return to the Isle again. She knew the reason even if he didn't state it: He couldn't leave his brother there alone. Celia returning didn't shock her as much, she was a Daddy's little girl.

Thankfully, her Dad did what was asked of him, even with his ember and the ability to escape, he didn't. He saved Audrey and allowed himself to be led out.

Mal had to say goodbye to him and was shocked when he gifted her his ember. She wished he had been part of her life growing up, but you couldn't change the past - that was something Mal knew too well.

* * *

Mal knew she should return to the room but wasn't entirely sure what was going through Ben's mind. Let alone everybody else's mind. Was Ben angry at her for not telling him who her father was? Secrets and her past have caused a wedge between them before. She wasn't sure if she could take it again. Mal simply stared down the corridor where her father had been taken until Ben stepped out into the corridor with her.

"I'm sorry he can't stay," he told her softly, bring one hand up to her cheek.

She looked at him slightly confused. She never even considered him staying. "He's a villain."

"He's still your father," he replied.

Mal glanced down the corridor before looking back at Ben. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you he was my Dad. I know I should have."

His thumb ran itself against her cheek. "Are you okay?"

Mal looked up at him properly for the first time since he came out. There was only concern in his eyes. How could he be so understanding? She leant up and connected their lips in a short kiss. "I'm fine." She slipped one arm around his waist as his arm pulled her to him. "What's going to happen to Audrey?"

A sigh left his lips. "Stealing, attacking Auradon, attacking the King… she committed treason." He looked down.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, bringing her hand up to his face. He had known Audrey all of his life and she had turned against him. "It's going to be okay," she whispered when he didn't answer. When she embraced him, she felt him trembling and instantly pulled away to drag him down the corridor and into a different room. Mal did take note that the two guards had followed but remained outside the closed door.

Ben slid down the wall to sit on the floor as there wasn't any furniture in the room - which Mal found extremely odd. She instantly dropped down to sit in front of him and held him close.

"Everything will be okay. I'll help you through it all."

"Treason… the law dictates that she should be sent to the Isle," he muttered as he let the tears fall. "We used to be friends. It's my fault."

Mal's hands came up to his face, wiping away some of the tears as she made him look at her. "It is not your fault, Ben. She made her choice. It wasn't your fault."

His face crumbled and she just held him instead of trying to make it better - she didn't know how to. Mal knew that if Jay had turned on her in the same manner, there was nothing anybody could say to make her feel better. She kept stroking the back of his head as he cried softly, his tears making her shoulder wet.

* * *

The following day, Mal found herself adjacent to Ben on an eighteen seated pure oak table. Each seat was filled. She remembered most of them from the visits she had made with Ben and their engagement party. They were all very important people. Down the table she saw Aurora looking extremely solemn. Everybody had been called here to discuss what was going to happen to Audrey after her act of tretary.

Due to the whole kingdom being aware of who had caused the act, it wasn't something that could be kept a secret. They were an hour into the discussion already.

"Law dictates that she is thrown onto the Isle of the Lost for her crimes," a man stated. He was one of the only individuals Mal had never met before.

"She's barely eighteen."

"Therefore, of legal age," he retorted, silencing Aladdin effectively.

As of yet, Aurora hadn't said anything.

Mal glanced at Ben who was holding everything together. She looked at Fairy Godmother, gaining the older fairies' attention instantly. "How did Audrey do on the Goodness test?"

There was a scoff and somebody muttered that she must have failed it.

Fairy Godmother cleared her throat. "She hasn't taken it yet. Audrey took a few months out of school this year and would be taking her exams this summer, along with her final goodness test."

She had to look at Ben again, he was the only reason she could find it in her to defend Audrey publically. That girl had done everything she could to make Mal's life miserable - she just didn't succeed. She looked back around the table. "As she hasn't taken the test, does not that legally render her as a minor?"

"That is true," Cinderella spoke. She had been in defense of Audrey the whole time. "If she can pass the test now, that would make her past crimes as a minor null-in-void."

"So, we just let her off the hook?" the man asked Mal, mildly aggressively.

Mal noticed this, as did everybody else on the table. Ben looked ready to intervene but she got there first. "Not at all. Audrey should pay for her crimes, however, I do not believe that sending her to the Isle of the Lost is the best course of action. As she committed these crimes as a minor, she should be treated as such. Nobody was physically hurt. A few transformations which will make an interesting story for the grandkids, but nothing permanent. Audrey has expressed her remorse and apologised for her actions. She is also willing to accept the punishment we deem appropriate." She paused to take a breath, keeping her voice calm. "We are wasting time debating on whether or not to send her to the Isle and should be debating the _appropriate_ punishment instead. She's still in school."

The two of them faced off. "If she fails the Goodness test, she's sent to the Isle. That's always been a rule."

Mal almost retracted at the sentence, while she knew this was the case, it had never been expressly said to her. "That's always been a rule and shouldn't colour our thoughts in this discussion. We are supposed to be discussing the punishment for a minor's crimes. Can you do that or would you like to step outside?"

His gaze was still challenging but Mal knew precisely when she won. "What is the punishment for a minor committing treason?"

He had asked her directly but Mal quickly redirected his question elsewhere. Thankfully, somebody else answered. "There isn't one set yet."

"That is why we are all here. One representative from each state, as well as two representatives from the law and three from Auradon," Ben spoke, standing up as he reached for a book and flicked through it. "In the past, children were not held accountable for their actions and were usually pardoned after community service and classes to ensure they knew right from wrong. As Audrey is almost of graduating age, perhaps we should extend her time at Auradon Prep so she can attend Goodness classes, help students settle in, and it will help us keep an eye on her too." He paused. So far no objections. "Due to this act, I believe the first five years of her adult life should be accompanied by yearly Goodness Tests to ensure she hasn't lost her way again. After that, she can proceed to have the renewal goodness test at the same rate as every other citizen." He looked around again. "Any objections?"

The silence lasted for a few seconds before Snow White spoke. "I agree with your punishment, Your Majesty. If all is in favour, I do recommend that we reconvene in a year's time, before she's finished school, to review it depending on her behaviour."

"I agree." The man spoke. "It seems light but as she's a minor it's fitting."

Ben nodded in agreement too. "All in favour, say Aye."

There was a chorus of Ayes, all except one. Ben looked at her questioning and Mal quickly said Aye, forgetting that she was supposed to vote too.

"Thank you for your council. You are all dismissed."

Mal had expected everybody to stand up and leave, but it was quite the opposite. A few stood but nobody left, they all just began to talk. It went from a formal discussion to a casual chat within seconds. She stood up herself uncertainly and instantly found herself engaged in a conversation with Flynn Rider.

"Your Majesty," he greeted with a quick bow.

She quickly dropped into a bow. "You don't need to address me like that, Prince Flynn."

He wrinkled his nose. "Flynn, please."

"At least I was accurate with the greeting," she spoke with a smile. Flynn wasn't born into royalty and therefore she found it easier to relate to him. Also, he detested formal events which is why she was surprised he was the one that turned up. "I expected Rapunzel today, is everything okay?"

"We just found out that she's pregnant. As this was short notice and involved a little bit of danger, her parents insisted she not attend. So, here I am."

"Congratulations," Mal replied genuinely. "Our apologies from pulling you away from such a happy occasion."

Flynn made a face. "Happy… more like imprisoning. After Repunzel's mother fell ill during the pregnancy to Repunzel being kidnapped as a baby… everybody is a little high strung. Being away is helping me breathe again."

"That can make anybody a little protective," Mal commented. She noticed Aurora watching her hesitantly and knew she had to do the proper thing - as much as she didn't want to. "Please excuse me."

Flynn bowed his head as she made her way across the room to Aurora.

Aurora smiled. "Lady Mal, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

Mal instantly bit back any sarcastic comments that came to her mind. "Princess Aurora, we were pleased you were able to attend this meeting today. My condolences on the situation your family is going through at the moment."

The princess was staring at her intensely and Mal wanted to retreat. It wasn't a mean or challenging glare, but it seemed like she was trying to work something out. "Thank you for standing in defence of my daughter, I was frightened she would be sent away."

They both knew what she meant by 'away'. "It was the right thing to do. Everything I said was true and I'm a big believer in second chances. Occasionally third chances as well."

"I think I need to open my heart up again to second chances, over the years, I've lost that," Aurora admitted. She dropped into a small curtsy and dismissed herself.

Mal watched as she left the room and wondered what was going through her mother's victim's mind. She made her way over to Ben, having realised that the room's occupants had halved, they were all slowly leaving. Her hand instantly found Ben's the second he was in reach and she smiled at Cinderella.

"Lady Mal, it's a pleasure to see you again," she spoke softly.

Mal dropped into a small curtsy. "And you. I see you decided to cut your hair, it looks nice."

Cinderella smiled. "Thank you for noticing. I was just discussing with the king about Chad's punishment for his involvement, however small."

"My apologies for interrupting."

"I was actually going to ask for your opinion," Cinderella said, stopping Mal from excusing herself.

Both of their eyes were on her. Mal knew for a fact that Chad had passed his Goodness test and was, therefore, an adult in the eyes of the law. He had knowingly stood behind Audrey throughout the sleeping curse and some of the other acts she caused. It was aiding and embedding and could be classed as treason. But Chad wasn't on trial here, it seemed as the sidekick they were able to keep him out of having a formal trial. But what did Mal think? Honestly, she wasn't sure. Her hesitation was obvious. She wishes she knew what Ben had suggested because she could have simply agreed with him, but now she was asked to give her opinion without any other information. "Chad chose to side with Audrey out of loyalty instead of what he believed in. When we found him, he looked thoroughly rattled about what had occurred. I haven't seen him since therefore am unaware if he showed any remorse or sent any apologies for the part that he played. I do not believe his intentions were malicious. What were you two discussing?"

She looked up at Ben who sent her a discrete smile - she was doing well so far. "Community service, as well as, taking the goodness test yearly for three years."

"That seems fair. It's similar to Audrey's punishment but as he's already graduated it would be pointless to make him stay at Auradon Prep and would probably be good for him and Audrey to be kept apart for a while as they both need time to…" she hesitated. "Heal. What type of community service do you think is appropriate?" she asked, turning to Cinderella. She hoped that she wasn't stepping over her bounds.

"That's what we can't decide on."

Mal looked at Ben who didn't say anything. She took a second to think before looking back at Cinderella. "How about we bring Chad into the discussion and let him choose?"

At Cinderella's nod, Ben let out a small breath of relief. "I'll have a meeting set up within the next week."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

With that, she left, leaving just Mal, Ben, and Adam. Mal let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and sat back down, still holding Ben's hand. "That was so long."

The two men in the room laughed at her. "That actually went really well. Some trials can last for hours. That was done in under 90 minutes, thanks to you."

"What did I do?" Mal asked, looking up at Adam as he spoke.

"You moved everybody off the idea of sending her to the Isle after they were all evenly split in debating it, and once it was settled that she wasn't going there, they were all inclined to agree to the first reasonable solution after that," he explained. "Even if Ben had gone a bit soft on her."

Ben shrugged. "It didn't feel like I was going easy on her." He sat down next to Mal.

Adam clasped Ben's shoulder supportively. "You did the right thing. I'm very proud of you, son."

"Thanks, Dad."

"There is something else that needs to be discussed," Adam continued.

Mal sighed. "The barrier. We can't leave the kids there. There has to be a way that we can help all the kids without releasing anybody who would do harm here." She watched Ben's eyes get hopeful. She was on his side now. "Audrey showed us that danger can live right here, and Hades showed us that even a villain can do good. It doesn't matter who your parents are, everybody has the capability of good and bad. They have the choice of which one they choose."

Ben squeezed her hand. "Should we open the barrier?"

"You can't."

"It's not up to you Dad."

Mal wanted to say yes, to open the barrier. Instead, a sigh left her. "Adam was correct to lock up some of the villains. You all saw how evil some of them could be… raping others, killing others, trying to burn their children alive." Ben and Adam winced at the memory of seeing that in her Goodness Test. "The barrier is there to keep those who are truly evil contained. We can't be too trusting because it could be our downfall. That doesn't mean we can't offer the children a way off and perhaps even some of the adults."

She received confused looks.

"Let's focus on the children first and work out the best action forward for them. They don't deserve to be stuck there. Hope has finally been restored on the Isle and it's made things better, but if they find out that they're stuck there again… it'll get worse."

Ben looked at Adam. "How many could we allow in per year?"

Adam sat down opposite them. "Four was supposed to be the taster and seemed to be a good gradual number of keeping an eye on them. Though, one poison apple can still come out." His eyes flickered to Mal's neck. "If we did it yearly, instead of staggered, that would allow us to have a heightened chance of being ready. The south wing's top two floors have been vacant for years since being repaired so that could be a suitable place to have a larger number of children reside. It'll help them adapt to the new school without being surrounded by children brought up here too much. Of course, there is a risk them all being kept together." He paused and looked at them, Mal was very intrigued into what else he had to say, he obviously had given this a lot of thought. "The current children we've already brought over can be given a choice. Instead of choosing random children each time, perhaps focus on one age range and maintain that each year, that way, there's less chance for a child to be missed due to age. I wouldn't attempt to have more than ten new starters at once though."

Mal waited for Ben to respond, but he didn't. She sent him a confused look and couldn't work out what he was thinking. Perhaps he was stunned that his father was supporting this idea, after all, Mal had only heard him putting it down. "We should look through all of the applications. Dizzy and Celia were eleven when they came, they adapted quickly and were old enough to understand what is going on. The twins are still adjusting being away from their Dad but did fit into the school and its rules quickly." She paused and noticed Ben looking at her intensely. Like he was focusing on every single word she was saying. "I like the idea of just one age, but I don't want that age to be too high. It was very difficult for me to fit in at fifteen, so younger than that. But for the first few years, we'll have to offer a few older children the chance too. If we chose thirteen, for example, perhaps a handful of fourteen and fifteen-year-olds could come as well, we'll just be careful with who we choose."

"Can we go and look at the applications now?" Ben asked.

Mal took his hand. She could understand his silence now. This was a big decision and something that he wanted for a long time, ever since bringing her over from the Isle. He was scared of messing things up. Saying the wrong thing. As King, his word goes above what anybody else says. "Later. We have to show our faces and inform the United States of Auradon that we are all safe and are doing everything in our power to keep everybody safe."

Ben ran a hand through his hair. Mal instantly knew that he had forgotten about that.

"Let's go get you ready. See you in an hour, Adam," Mal said, leading Ben out of the room. At first, Adam nodded, then he had a look of surprise on his face at the potential implications at her helping Ben get ready - after all, they weren't married. "Emotionally, Adam."

Adam looked relieved and nodded at her.

Mal rolled her eyes and carried on leading him out.

* * *

Them addressing the whole of Auradon was successful, they had restored faith in the royal family and everybody felt safe. All of the citizens were given an address to forward letters to if they wished to and that helped to increase moral. Audrey had publicly apologised and her punishment details would be made public in a week. Mal mostly kept quiet barring one speech about everybody having good and bad in them, mentioning how Hades had saved Audrey - and the crowd didn't turn against her instantly when she revealled he was her Dad.

I guess him helping to save Auradon made them more accepting.

The dance that followed was carefree. In the end, as the royal family was saying their goodbyes, Mal realised that they were returning to their castle and expected for her to come too. In fact, everybody expected her to leave with them, she'd noticed that since the engagement most people treated her as part of the royal family, even though she technically wasn't yet. So when it was announced the 'royal family' was saying goodbye, everybody started saying goodbye to Mal too.

She hadn't spent much time with Evie, barely any time alone. Audrey had interrupted them merely an hour into her visit. Mal had planned to stay at her friends for days, and it had only been two days of being here. Most of her time wasn't spent with her friend anyway.

"One minute," she whispered to Ben before walking away from him. She had been by his side consistently since the meeting about Audrey. It felt weird to not have his presence by her. She knew he needed her tonight, he wasn't quite healed from everything that had happened, otherwise, she wouldn't have gone back with him. "Evie."

The blue-haired girl turned to her. Instantly, Mal remembered that they had a big fight. While they had rejoiced in the threat being taken care of and were there to support each other, that didn't automatically mean things were perfect between them. "Mal, are you heading off?"

Mal nodded. "Yes, Ben needs me right now." Evie didn't look thrilled. "You can come too."

"I can't leave Dizzy right now, not after everything that happened and Celia going back to the Isle." Her tone of voice told her that Evie was still upset over everything.

"Then can I call you later?" Her friend nodded. "Good, because I'd love your advice about our new plan on bringing more VKs over. And I'm confident Celia will return too - she'll just miss summer school."

Evie grinned. "Really? You're letting the children come out?"

"Bit by bit, yes. Things will be different but I'm not going to leave the kids there to suffer."

Evie instantly wrapped her arms around her in a hug, one which Mal returned. "Thank you." She pulled back. "I wish you didn't have to go."

Mal smiled. "You'll have Dizzy. Just make sure she attends classes. There _might_ be a chance this summer to visit the Isle, but I'll let you know. We've just started the discussion."

"I'll miss you."

"I know," Mal smiled before walking off, back to Ben and taking his hand before he led them out.

* * *

**I hope you are all staying safe!**


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